How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of
cerebral palsy attorneys paralysis has profound implications on the child's life and that of their family. Compensation can enable them to lead an active and fulfilling life by allowing access to care, equipment and assistance.
Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy. This can be due to the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during the birth process or other incidents.
Causes
There is no cure for CP, but early diagnosis and treatment can help improve the child's capabilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the child's muscle tone, movement and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Every person suffers from cerebral palsy differently. It can be mild with no impact on a child's ability to function, or it can be extremely severe and cause physical impairments throughout the body. The signs include an oversized (floppy neck) head and muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled and walking difficulties, or having difficulty speaking and other functions. If a child only has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia. On both sides, it's diplegia. Severe CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity that limits an individual's movements and leads to difficulties with speech and eating.
Medical mistakes in childbirth are a frequent cause of CP. Nurses, midwives, and doctors must be cautious when giving birth to a baby because damage to the brain can result in serious consequences. If a medical mistake causes oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the doctor could be held accountable for malpractice. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section, or inability to monitor and escalate a complex labor.
Signs and symptoms
If your child suffers from
cerebral palsy law firm palsy, they'll likely exhibit a range of physical signs. The symptoms can include stiff or tight muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, as well as issues with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and hearing and vision problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain of an infant. It usually occurs during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in milestones like rolling over, sitting, crawling, or walking can be an indication of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience difficulty swallowing and may require feeding tubes.
A variety of factors can cause a brain injury causing CP. This includes diseases like toxoplasmosis, or rubella in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. A massive lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during the birth or during labor is a major cause for CP and bleeding in the brain due to blood vessels that are damaged or blocked.
Symptoms can range from mild to extreme based on the type. The most common kind of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy, which is characterized by muscles that are stiff. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid, choreoathetoid and choreoathetoid) is known as a slow and uncontrolled writhing of the arms, legs and the body. Other forms of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which has a shaky movement) or paraplegic CP which affects the legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
Although cerebral palsy symptoms vary, the majority people suffering from the condition experience stiffness and decrease in muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement problem that they face is determined by which brain area was injured and the extent of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP need specialized physical therapy to increase their muscle tone, mobility, and stretch their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve pain and help prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments may be incorporated.
Musculoskeletal disorders such as patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis and scoliosis are common in CP. These can cause major issues in mobility, which can reduce life expectancy.
Other treatments may include speech and language therapy for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can help them discover new ways of communicating and could include sign language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.
They can relax muscles that are stiff or overactive or muscles, limit abnormal movement, relieve pain, and control seizures. The medication is taken by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the fluid around the spinal cord.
Compensation
A successful claim for cerebral palsy can result in compensation for your child to pay for specialist care, equipment and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical effects that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any expenses and losses you have incurred. This could be a loss of earnings due to you having to work less to take care of your children, home modifications and transport costs.
Your lawyer might hire an expert in disability care, depending on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create an "life care plan" that details their needs from the moment of diagnosis until they are adults. This will help you determine an accurate amount of compensation. This typically is in the form of lump sums as well as regular annual payments that are adjusted to keep up with the rate of inflation.
You should be aware that compensation from a successful legal claim isn't a windfall. It's a way of acknowledging an injustice that occurred because a medical professional did not meet their duty of care during labour, pregnancy and delivery.