The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral palsy can have profound effects on the child and their family. Compensation can enable them to lead an active and full life by providing access and equipment, as well as support.
Many cases of cerebral palsy result from medical negligence. This could be caused by a lack of care during pregnancy, problems during birth, or other occurrences.
Causes
Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by observing the muscle tone of a child, movement and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve quality of life.
Everyone is affected by cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild with a minimal effect on a child's ability to function, or severe enough to cause physical impairments throughout the body. The signs include an oversized (floppy neck) head as well as stiff or uncontrolled muscles and walking difficulties, or having trouble with speech and other functions. If a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. On both sides, it's diplegia. A severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity that limits the movement of a person and can lead to difficulties in speaking and eating.
Birth complications are the most common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies because brain damage may result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain injury that causes cerebral palsy, the doctor could be held responsible for negligence. This includes a lack of planning or performing an urgent C-section or inability to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.
Signs and symptoms
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from a combination of physical symptoms. These symptoms could include tight or stiff muscles as well as a limp, uncontrolled movements, and problems with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and hearing issues.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain of an infant. This is usually the case in the infant or early years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking is a typical sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding tube.
Many factors can contribute to a brain injury causing CP. These include infections such as toxoplasmosis or rubella in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. A serious lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is a major reason for CP, as is bleeding in the brain that results from blocked or broken blood vessels.
Based on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms may range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy lawsuits palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most common type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and the body. Other types of CP can include ataxic palsy, which has a shaky motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy where legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, the majority of people suffering from the condition are required to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of problem that they suffer from is dependent on the brain region that was injured and the degree of the injury.
Many people with CP need specialized physical therapy to increase their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone, and stretch their joints and muscles. It also helps relieve discomfort and help prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments may be incorporated.
CP is characterized by musculoskeletal disorders that include hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis can also be seen. These conditions can cause major mobility problems, which reduces life expectancy.
Other treatments could include speech and language therapies for children who are unable to communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways to communicate and could include signing language, a communication board, or voice synthesizers.
They can relax muscles that are stiff or overactive, reduce abnormal movement, reduce pain and seizures. These medications are 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 medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. The compensation will be based upon the physical and mental impact of your child's condition and any expenses or losses you might have incurred. This could include the loss of income due to having to stop working to care for your children, home modifications and transport costs.
Based on the degree of the injury to your child Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability services to draft a 'life care plan' that meticulously lists all the needs of your child beginning with 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 a lump-sum and recurring annual payments which could be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.
You should be aware that the amount of compensation you receive from a legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a recognition that injustice has occurred, all because medical professionals didn't fulfill their obligation to care during pregnancy, labour and delivery.