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 allow them to have a fulfilling life by giving them access to medical equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This can be caused by a lack of prenatal care, complications during labour and delivery or other occurrences.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the child's muscle tone and coordination. They can refer a child to specialists such as pediatric orthopedists, neurologists and physiatrists, who can assist in managing symptoms and increase the quality of life.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild having a minimal impact on a child's ability function, or it can be extremely severe and cause impairments throughout the body. The signs include floppy head (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff or inflexible and walking difficulties, or problems with speech and other functions. If a child's condition is cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's diplegia. Severe CP can cause locked in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity. This could limit the ability of a person to move and can make it difficult to speak and eating.

Medical mistakes during childbirth are the leading cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be careful when delivering babies as brain damage could result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for malpractice. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or not being able to monitor and escalate the intensity of the labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he / she will likely have a combination of physical symptoms. These may include tight or stiff joints or muscles, a limp, involuntary movements, and issues with balance and posture. Other problems can include speech delays, intellectual disability and hearing and vision issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain's immature state. It is most commonly seen during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as sitting up, crawling or walking is a common sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have difficulties swallowing and may require feeding tubes.

A variety of factors can trigger the development of a brain injury that triggers CP and other conditions, such as toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a massive lack of oxygen) during labor or birth is the leading cause of CP.

Based on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms can range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled motions of the arms, legs and body. Other types of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has an unstable motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy in which legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy are different, the majority of people with the condition have to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with balance and coordination. The type of problems they suffer from depend on the area of the brain that was injured and the severity.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy to increase their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone and stretch their muscles and joints. It can also help relieve discomfort and prevent contractures. It could include exercises, special braces or other treatments.

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

Speech and therapy for language can be used to aid children who are unable to communicate effectively. This may help children learn new ways to communicate and cerebral palsy may include sign language, communication board, or voice synthesizers.

These medicines can be used to stop abnormal movements, decrease pain, and control seizures. These medications can be taken orally or directly into the affected muscles, or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy lawyer palsy claim could result in compensation for your child to pay for medical equipment, specialist care 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 costs or losses you've had to pay. These could include loss of earnings as you had to leave work in order to care for your child, home modifications and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer may hire an specialist in disability care, depending on the extent of the injury to your child. This specialist will draft an "life care plan" that details their needs from the moment of diagnosis until they become adults. This will allow you to calculate an accurate amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum as well as regular annual payments which can be index to keep up with the rate of inflation.

You must be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a recognition that injustice has occurred due to medical professionals failed to fulfill their obligation to care during pregnancy, labour and delivery.