The 10 Most Scariest Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy will have an impact on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live an active and fulfilling life by providing access to treatment equipment and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This could be due to an absence of prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery or other incidents.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment may improve the abilities of a child. Doctors can diagnose CP by observing the tone of a child's muscles and coordination, as well as movement. They might refer the child to specialists like neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists, who can assist in managing symptoms and improving the quality of life.

Everyone is affected by cerebral palsy differently. It can be mild with minimal impact on a child's function, or severe enough to cause physical impairments throughout the body. The signs include a floppy (floppy neck) head as well as stiff or uncontrolled muscles and walking difficulties, or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's known as diplegia. A severe CP may lead to a locked in (spastic) condition, which is characterized by muscle spasticity. This may limit the ability of a person to move and can result in difficulty speaking and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is one of the main causes of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses must be aware when delivering babies as brain damage could result in serious consequences. If a medical mistake results in oxygen deprivation or other brain damage that causes cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for malpractice. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or failing to monitor and increase an intense labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from several physical symptoms. These symptoms could include tight or stiff muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, as well as issues with posture and balance. Other issues can include speech delays, intellectual disability and hearing and vision problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain's immature state. This is usually the case in the infant or early years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as rolling over, standing up, crawling or walking is a common sign of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Several factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that triggers CP or CP-related conditions, including infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe deficiency of oxygen) during delivery or labor is the most common cause of CP.

Based on the kind of cerebral palsy, symptoms may vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow writhing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP might include ataxic palsy, which is characterized by a shaky motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy where the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy are different, the majority of people with the condition have to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have problems with balance and coordination. The kind of problems they suffer from depend on the area of their brain that was injured and the severity.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy which helps them to improve their mobility and muscle tone as well as stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It can also ease tension and prevent contractures. It may include exercises, braces with special features, or other treatments.

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues like patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis also occur. These can cause major issues in mobility, which reduces life expectancy.

Other treatments can include speech and language therapy for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help them learn new ways of communicating and may involve sign language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

Medications can be used to relax muscles that are stiff or overactive or muscles, limit abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications are ingested by mouth or cerebral palsy injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy law firm palsy claim could result in compensation for your child's for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. The amount of compensation will depend on the mental and physical impact of your child's condition as well as any expenses or losses you might have incurred. This could be a loss of earnings because you had to work less to take care of your children, home adaptations and transportation expenses.

Based on the severity of your child's injuries the lawyer might recommend hiring a specialist in disability care to create a "life care plan' that defines their needs beginning with the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help you calculate the most accurate amount of compensation. It typically will be an amount in lump sum and annual payments, which can be adjusted to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You should know that the amount of compensation you receive for a successful legal matter is not a windfall. It's a way of acknowledging an the injustice that occurred due to the fact that the medical professional failed to meet their duty of care in pregnancy, labour, and delivery.