The 10 Most Scariest Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has an enormous impact on the child's life as well as that of their family. Compensation can allow them to live a fuller life, with access to equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy stem from medical negligence. This could be due to a lack of medical attention during pregnancy, issues during birth, or other occurrences.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the tone of a child's muscles and coordination. They can refer the child to specialists like neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists who can aid in managing symptoms and improve life-quality.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild and have little impact on a child's abilities however, it can also be severe and cause impairments to all body parts. The signs include neck that is floppy (floppy neck), stiff or uncontrolled muscle that is difficult to walk or has difficulties with speech and other functions. If a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's known as diplegia. A severe CP can cause locked in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity. This may limit the person's mobility and create difficulties with speech and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is the most common cause of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses should be extra cautious when delivering a baby because damage to the brain can result in serious consequences. If a medical mistake results in oxygen deprivation or other brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy, the doctor may be held liable for negligence. This is the case when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or not being able to monitor and escalate the intensity of the labor.

Symptoms

If your child has cerebral palsy, he or she will likely have various physical symptoms. These symptoms could include stiff or tight muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, as well as issues with balance and posture. Other problems include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and hearing problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain's immature state. This is usually the case in the early years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones such as standing up, crawling or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children with CP may also have trouble swallowing, and may need a feeding device.

Many factors can contribute to the brain injury that causes CP. These include 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 from blocked or broken blood vessels.

Depending on the type of cerebral palsy, the symptoms can range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid or choreoathetoid) involves slow and uncontrolled flailing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, characterized by shakey movements, or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary, a majority of people suffering from the condition are required to cope with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with balance and coordination. The type of problem that they suffer from is dependent on what area of the brain was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy that allows them improve their mobility and muscle tone and stretch and strengthen their muscles and joints. It can also relieve the pain and prevent contractures. It could include exercises, braces with special features, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal disorders such as hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are common in CP. These conditions can cause significant mobility issues and reduce life expectancy.

Other treatments include speech and language therapies for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This may help children learn new ways to communicate and could include communication board, Cerebral palsy or voice synthesizers.

These medications can be used to relax muscles that are stiff or overactive or muscles, limit abnormal movement, reduce pain, and manage seizures. These medicines can be taken orally, or directly injected into the affected muscles, or the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could 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 caused on them, in addition to any costs or losses you've had to pay. These could include loss of earnings as you had to take a break from work to take care of your child, house modifications and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

Depending on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer might recommend hiring an expert in disability issues to draft a 'life care plan' that carefully lists all the needs of your child from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This will help you calculate an exact compensation amount. This is usually in the form of a lump sum and recurring annual payments which could be indexed to keep pace with inflation.

You must be aware that the compensation awarded for a successful legal matter is not a cash-flow opportunity. It is a recognition of injustice that occurred because medical professionals did not provide the care they were supposed to during labour, pregnancy and the delivery.