How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has a profound effect on the child and their family. Compensation can allow them to live a full and fulfilling life, with access to the equipment, care and support.

Medical negligence is often the reason for cerebral palsy. It can be caused by inadequate prenatal care, problems during labor and birth or other events.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment may improve the abilities of a child. Doctors diagnose CP by observing a child's muscle tone and coordination, as well as movement. They might refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, cerebral palsy pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Cerebral palsy affects every person differently. It can be mild and have a minimal impact on the abilities of a child but it can also be severe and cause impairments across all body areas. Some of the symptoms include a floppy (floppy neck) head and muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled, difficulty walking, or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, cerebral palsy it's referred to as hemiplegia. On both sides, it's known as diplegia. Severe CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition characterized by muscle spasticity that restricts an individual's movements and leads to issues with speech and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is the most common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies because brain damage may cause serious harm. A physician could be held accountable for negligence if a medical error results in cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or inability to monitor and escalate a complicated labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he / is likely to have a combination of physical symptoms. These symptoms could include stiff or tight muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, and problems with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision problems.

Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to the immature brain, typically during infancy or early childhood. A delay in milestones such as rolling over, sitting, walking, or crawling may be a sign of CP. Children suffering from CP might also have trouble swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Several factors can contribute to the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the leading cause of CP.

Depending on the type of cerebral palsy, the symptoms may vary from mild to severe. The most frequent type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral psoriasis, which is characterised by muscles that are stiff. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) involves slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and the body. Other forms of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy lawyer palsy, which is characterized by a shaky motion or paraplegic cerebral palsy in which the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, the majority of sufferers have to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of problem that they face is determined by the area of the brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy that allows them improve their mobility and muscle tone as well as stretch and exercise their joints and muscles. It can also ease the pain and prevent contractures. It could involve exercises, special braces, or other treatments.

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

Speech and therapy for language are a way to assist children who are not able to communicate effectively. This can help children learn new ways of communicating. These may include communication board or voice synthesizers.

These medications are used to limit the abnormal movement, reduce seizures, and ease pain. These medications can be taken orally or injected directly into the affected muscles, or into the surrounding fluid of your spinal cord.

Compensation

If your case of cerebral palsy is successful, you may be compensated to pay for your child's special care, equipment, and treatment. The amount will be determined upon the physical and mental consequences of your child's condition and any expenses or losses that you might have incurred. This could include the loss of income due to the fact that you have to quit work to care for your children, home adaptations and transport costs.

Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability-related care according to the severity of the injuries to your child. The specialist will write an "life care plan" that will outline their needs from the moment they are diagnosed until they turn adults. This can help you determine a more accurate amount of compensation. This usually takes the form of a lump-sum as well as regular annual payments which could be indexed to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You should know that the amount of compensation you receive for a legal case that is successful is not a quick cash payout. It's a way of acknowledging an unfairness that was caused by a medical professional did not perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and birth.