How to Make a Successful
cerebral palsy lawyer Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has profound consequences for the child and their family. Compensation can enable them to lead an active and healthy life by providing access to treatment, equipment and assistance.
Many cases of cerebral palsy result from medical negligence. It can be caused by inadequate medical attention prior to pregnancy, problems during labor and 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 observing the child's movements, muscle coordination and tone. They might refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in a different way. It can be mild, with a minimal effect on a child's function, or severe enough to cause impairments throughout the body. The symptoms could include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck), muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled that is difficult to walk or has difficulties with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia; on both sides, it's known as diplegia. Severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition that causes muscle spasticity that limits a person's movements and leads to difficulties in speaking and eating.
The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is the most common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be careful when delivering babies as brain damage could cause serious harm. If a medical error causes oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the physician may be held liable for malpractice. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or failing to supervise and escalate an arduous labor.
Symptoms
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or is likely to experience several physical symptoms. They could be characterized by tight joints or stiff joints, a limp, uncontrolled movement and problems with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and hearing problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain of an infant. It usually occurs in the early years of childhood. A delay in milestones like rolling over, sitting, crawling, or walking can be an indication of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding device.
A variety of factors can trigger the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP, including infections like rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during the birth or during labor is the main cause of CP and bleeding in the brain that results from blood vessels that are damaged or blocked.
Depending on the form of cerebral palsy, the symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow writhing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has shakey movements, or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
While the specific symptoms of
cerebral palsy attorneys palsy vary, most sufferers of the condition have to manage stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have problems with coordination and balance. The type of movement problems they experience is dependent on the area of their brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and work their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contractures. It can include exercises, special braces or other treatments.
Musculoskeletal issues like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are common in CP. These disorders can lead to major mobility problems, which reduces life expectancy.
Other treatments could include speech and language therapy for children who cannot communicate effectively. This may help children learn new ways to communicate. This could include signing language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.
The use of medications can relax muscles that are stiff or overactive and reduce abnormal movement. They also relieve pain, and control seizures. The medication is taken by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord.
Compensation
A successful
cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child to pay for specialized 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 you've incurred. These could include loss of income due to having to take a break from work to take care of your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the extent of your child's injury the lawyer might recommend hiring an expert in disability services to develop a "lifecare plan' that meticulously outlines all their needs from the time of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This can help calculate the most accurate compensation amount. It is typically in the form of a lump sum as well as regular annual payments which can be index to keep up with inflation.
It is important to understand that compensation for a legal case that is successful is not a monetary windfall. It's a recognition of injustice that occurred because medical professionals did not fulfill their duty of care in pregnancy, labour, and the delivery.