The 10 Scariest Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has an enormous impact on the child's life and the lives of their families. Compensation can help them live a full and fulfilling life, with access to the equipment, care and support.
Many cases of cerebral palsy result from medical negligence. This could be due to the lack of care during pregnancy, problems during birth or other events.
Causes
There is no cure for CP but early detection and treatment may improve the abilities of a child. Doctors diagnose CP by looking at the muscle tone of a child and coordination. They may refer the child to specialists such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild with no impact on a child's ability function, or it can be extremely severe and cause impairments throughout the body. The signs include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head, stiff or uncontrolled muscles, difficulty walking, or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child only has cerebral Palsy Attorneys palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's called diplegia. The severity of CP could result in a locked-in (spastic) condition, which is characterized by muscle spasticity. This could limit a person's movement and result in difficulty speaking and eating.
Childbirth-related medical errors are a frequent cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be careful when delivering babies because brain damage can cause serious harm. A doctor may be held liable for negligence if a medical error causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing a C-section in a hurry or the failure to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.
Signs and symptoms
If your child has cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from an array of physical symptoms. These symptoms may include stiff or tight muscles, a limp, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture and balance. Other problems can include intellectual disability, speech delays and vision and hearing issues.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to an immature brain. It is most commonly seen during infancy or the early years of childhood. A delay in milestones such as rolling over, sitting, walking, or crawling can be a sign of CP. Children suffering from CP might also have trouble swallowing and may require a feeding device.
Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that causes CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A massive lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during pregnancy or birth is a major cause of CP as is bleeding in the brain caused by blood vessels that are damaged or blocked.
The symptoms may range from mild to severe based on the type of. The most common type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy, which is defined by muscles that are stiff. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled flailing movements of the arms, legs and the body. Other types of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has a shaky motion or paraplegic cerebral palsy in which legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
Though the symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary, the majority of people suffering from the condition experience stiffness and decrease in muscle control. They may also have issues with coordination and balance. The kind of problems they experience will depend on the area of their brain that was injured as well as its extent of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their muscle tone and mobility as well as stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It can also relieve the pain and prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments might be included.
CP is characterized by musculoskeletal disorders, such as patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis also occur. These can cause major problems in mobility, which can reduce life expectancy.
Speech and language therapy can be used to assist children who are unable to communicate effectively. This may help them discover new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards, or voice synthesizers.
Medications can be used to ease stiff or overactive muscles to reduce abnormal movement, reduce pain, and manage seizures. The medications are administered by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord.
Compensation
If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you can receive compensation to help pay for your child's special care, equipment, and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has caused on them, in addition to the costs and losses that you've incurred. This could be a loss of earnings due to you having to quit work to care for your children, house modifications and transportation costs.
Depending on the severity of your child's injury the lawyer may recommend an expert in disability services to draft a 'life care plan' that carefully defines their needs from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help calculate an exact compensation amount. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum and regular annual payments, which may be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.
It is important to know that the compensation awarded for a successful legal claim is not a cash-flow opportunity. It's a way of acknowledging an injustice that occurred because medical professionals did not perform their duty of care in pregnancy, labour, and the delivery.