The 10 Scariest Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has an impact on the child and their family. Compensation can enable them to lead an active and full life by providing access to care, equipment and assistance.
Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy. This could be due to the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during delivery or other incidents.
Causes
Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can improve a child’s abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by observing a child's muscle tone and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists, like pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Everyone suffers from cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild and have little impact on a child's ability however, it can also be severe and cause impairments in all body areas. The signs include head that is floppy (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled and walking difficulties, or problems with speech and other functions. If cerebral palsy is only affecting one side of the child's body, it is referred to as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, then it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP could cause a locked-in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This can limit a person's movement and create difficulties with speech and eating.
The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a leading cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be careful when delivering babies because brain damage may result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the physician may be held liable for negligence. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or failure to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.
Signs and symptoms
If your child has cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy, he / will likely suffer from various physical symptoms. These may include tight or stiff joints and limbs, a limp, erratic movement, and issues with balance and posture. Other problems include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain of an infant. It is most commonly seen during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as standing up, crawling or walking is a typical sign of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding device.
Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that causes CP or CP-related conditions, including infections such as toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe deficiency of oxygen) during delivery or labor is the most common cause of CP.
Symptoms may range from mild to extreme based on the type. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most frequent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow motions of the legs, arms and cerebral body. Other types of CP might include ataxic palsy, characterized by shakey movements, or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which the legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of people suffering from the condition are required to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They might also have problems with coordination and balance. The type of issues they suffer from depend on the part of the brain that was injured and the extent of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP require specialized physical therapy to increase their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone and stretch their muscles and joints. It can also relieve the pain and prevent contracture. It could involve exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.
CP is characterised by musculoskeletal conditions that include patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These disorders can lead to major mobility problems that reduce the lifespan.
Other treatments include speech and language therapies for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can assist them to discover new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.
These medications are used to limit abnormal movements, ease the pain, and manage seizures. These medications are taken by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.
Compensation
If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you could receive compensation to you pay for medical attention, equipment and treatment. The amount of compensation will depend upon the physical and mental impact of your child's condition, as well as on any losses or expenses you may have suffered. These could include loss of earnings because you have had to stop work to care for your child, home adaptations and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer may recommend a specialist in disability care to draft a 'life care plan' that lists all the needs of your child from the date of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will allow you to calculate a more accurate amount of compensation. This usually takes the form of an amount in lump sum and annual payments, which can be adjusted to keep pace with the rate of inflation.
You must be aware that the compensation for a legal case that is successful is not a monetary windfall. It's a recognition of unfairness that was caused by a medical professional did not fulfill their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and birth.