How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have an enormous impact on the life of the child and the lives of their family. Compensation can help them lead an active and healthy life by providing access to treatment, equipment and assistance.

Medical negligence is usually the reason for cerebral palsy. This could be due to the lack of medical attention prior to pregnancy, problems during labour and delivery or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors diagnose CP through a child's movement, muscle coordination and tone. They can refer children to specialists like neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists who will aid in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be moderate and have only a slight impact on the child's capabilities or severe and cause impairments in all body parts. It can be characterized by a floppy (floppy neck) head, stiff or uncontrolled muscles as well as difficulty walking or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia. On both sides, it's called diplegia. Severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity, which restricts an individual's movements and leads to problems with speech and eating.

Medical mistakes during childbirth are the most common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and cerebral palsy nurses must be cautious when delivering babies as brain damage could cause serious harm. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for negligence. This includes a lack of planning or performing a C-section in a hurry or cerebral palsy failure to monitor and escalate a complex labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from a combination of physical symptoms. The symptoms can include stiff or tight muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movement, and issues with posture and balance. Other issues include intellectual disabilities, speech delays as well as hearing and vision problems.

Cerebral Palsy symptoms are caused due to damage to the young brain, usually in infancy or early childhood. A delay in milestones like rolling over, sitting, crawling, or walking can be an indication of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding device.

A variety of factors can cause a brain injury that leads to CP. This includes infections like toxoplasmosis or rubella during pregnancy; high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. A massive lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is a major cause for CP as is bleeding in the brain due to blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.

Based on the kind of cerebral palsy, symptoms may range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy attorney palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, which is characterized by shakey movements or paraplegic cerebral palsy where the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of sufferers of the condition experience stiffness, as well as a decrease in muscle control. They may also be struggling with coordination and balance. The type of movement problems they experience will depend on the area of their brain that was injured as well as its degree of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy which helps them improve their muscle tone and mobility as well as stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It can also help relieve the pain and prevent contractures. It could include exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal issues like patella alta, hip dysplasia, scoliosis, and cervical stenosis are common in CP. These disorders can lead to major mobility problems and reduce life expectancy.

Other treatments include speech and language therapy for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can help them to discover new ways of communicating and could include sign language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

These medicines can be used to reduce abnormal movements, decrease seizures, and ease pain. These medications can be administered orally or directly into the affected muscles or the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.

Compensation

If your case of cerebral palsy is successful, you can be compensated to pay for your child's specialist care, equipment, and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical effects that your child's condition has caused on them, in addition to any losses and expenses that you've incurred. This could include loss of earnings due to the fact that you have to take a break from work to take care of your children, home adaptations and transportation expenses.

Based on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer may recommend a specialist in disability care to create a "life care plan' that meticulously outlines all their needs starting from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help you calculate an exact amount of compensation. This usually will be lump sums as well as regular annual payments which can be adjusted to reflect inflation.

You should be aware that a payout from a legal claim isn't a windfall. It's an acknowledgement that injustice was committed, all because medical professionals failed to fulfill their obligation to taking care during labour, pregnancy and the birth.