How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has a profound effect on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live a full life with access to equipment, care and assistance.
Many cases of cerebral palsy are the result of medical negligence. It can be caused by the lack of prenatal care, complications during labor and delivery or other occurrences.
Causes
There is no cure for CP however early diagnosis and treatment may improve the capabilities of a child. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the tone of a child's muscles and coordination, as well as movement. They may refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve quality of life.
Everyone suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild and have little impact on the child's capabilities or severe and cause impairments to all areas of the body. The symptoms could include a head that is floppy (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff and uncontrolled and walking difficulties, or difficulties with speech and other functions. If a child only has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP could result in a locked-in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This can restrict the person's mobility and cause difficulty with speech and eating.
Birth complications are a frequent cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be careful when delivering babies as brain damage could cause serious harm. A physician could be held responsible for malpractice if a medical mistake causes
cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy or brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or failing to supervise and escalate an intense labor.
Signs and symptoms
If your child is suffering from
cerebral palsy Attorneys palsy, they will most likely exhibit a variety of physical signs. These symptoms could include tight or stiff muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, as well as issues with posture and balance. Other issues include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and hearing and vision problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to an immature brain. This is usually the case in the infant or early years of childhood. A delay 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 difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding tube.
Several factors may contribute to an injury to the brain that results in CP. This includes infections 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 birth or labor is a major cause of CP and bleeding in the brain from blood vessels that are damaged or blocked.
Based on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled writhing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other types of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has a shaky motion or paraplegic cerebral aphasia, in which the arms and legs are affected.
Treatment
While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, the majority of sufferers have to manage stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement problems they have depend on the area of their brain that was injured and the severity.
Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy that can increase their mobility, muscle tone and stretch their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and help prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments might be included.
Musculoskeletal conditions like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, and scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These conditions can cause major issues in mobility, which decreases life expectancy.
Speech and therapy for language can be used to assist children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children learn new ways to communicate. This could include sign language, 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,
cerebral palsy attorneys and control seizures. These drugs can be taken orally or directly into the affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid of your spinal cord.
Compensation
If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you could be awarded compensation to provide your child with specialist care, equipment, and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as the costs and losses you have incurred. This could include the loss of income due to having to leave work in order to care for your child, home modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the degree of the injury to your child, your lawyer may hire an expert in disability issues to write a "life care plan' that carefully details their needs from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This will help you determine an exact amount of compensation. It is typically in the form of a lump sum and annual installments, which can be index to keep up with inflation.
You should know that the compensation awarded for a successful legal matter is not a quick cash payout. It's an acknowledgement that injustice was committed, all because medical professionals didn't fulfill their duty of taking care during labour, pregnancy and delivery.