How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has an impact on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live a fuller life, with access to equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy are the result of medical negligence. This can be due to an absence of care during pregnancy, or problems during birth, or other occurrences.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can enhance a child's capabilities. Doctors diagnose CP by looking at a child's muscle tone, movement and coordination. They can refer a child to specialists like pediatric orthopedists, neurologists and physiatrists who will assist in managing symptoms and improving life-quality.

cerebral palsy lawsuits Palsy affects each 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 in all body areas. It can be characterized by a floppy (floppy neck) head and muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled as well as difficulty walking or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child's condition is cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia; on both sides, it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity that restricts the movement of a person and can lead to problems with speech and eating.

Childbirth-related mistakes made by doctors are a leading cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be careful when delivering babies as brain damage could have serious consequences. A doctor may be held liable for malpractice if a medical error causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deficiency. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or the failure to monitor and escalate a complex labor.

Symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or she will likely have various physical symptoms. These symptoms may include stiff or tight muscles as well as a limp, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture and balance. Other problems include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and vision and hearing problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to an immature brain. This occurs most often during the infancy years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as sitting up, crawling, or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have difficulty swallowing and may require feeding tubes.

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to the brain injury that causes CP. This includes diseases like toxoplasmosis, or rubella in the womb; high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe deficiency of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the main cause of CP.

Symptoms can range from mild to extreme based on the type. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent form. Dyskinetic cerebral Palsy (also known as athetoid choreoathetoid and choreoathetoid) is characterised by a uncontrolled and slow writhing of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which has a shaky, jerky movement) or paraplegic CP that affects the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of sufferers of the condition have to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with coordination and balance. The type of problems they experience is dependent on the region of the brain that was injured as well as the severity.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy that can improve their mobility, muscle tone and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also help relieve discomfort and prevent contractures. Braces, exercises or other treatments may be considered.

Musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are common in CP. These can cause major issues in mobility, which decreases the life expectancy of patients.

Other treatments include speech and language therapies for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help them learn new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

Medications can be used to ease stiff or overactive muscles and reduce abnormal movement. They also alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications can be taken orally or directly into the affected muscles or into the fluid around your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful claim for cerebral palsy attorney palsy could result in compensation for your child's for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. The amount will be determined on the physical and mental effects of your child's illness and any expenses or losses that you might have incurred. This could be a loss of earnings due to having to stop working to take care of your children, home modifications and transport expenses.

Your lawyer may hire an expert in disability-related care dependent on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create a "life care plan" that details their needs starting at the time of diagnosis until they become adults. This can help you determine an exact amount of compensation. This usually takes the form of lump sums and regular annual payments which can be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.

It is important to know that the compensation resulting from a successful legal claim isn't a windfall. It's a way of acknowledging an unfairness that was caused by the medical professional failed to provide the care they were supposed to in pregnancy, labour, and the delivery.