The 10 Most Scariest Things About Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has profound effects on the child's life as well as the lives of their families. Compensation can allow them to live a full and fulfilling life, with access to the equipment, care and support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy stem from medical negligence. This can be due to an absence of care during pregnancy, problems during the birth process or other incidents.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can help improve a child's capabilities. Doctors diagnose CP by looking at the muscle tone of a child and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists, like pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Cerebral Palsy affects each person differently. It can be mild and have a minimal impact on the child's capabilities but it can also be severe and cause impairments to all body parts. The symptoms can include a Floppy head (floppy neck) stiff or uncontrolled muscle that is difficult to walk or has problems with speech and other functions. If cerebral palsy affects only the child's body, then it is referred to as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, it is known as diplegia. Severe CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition characterized by spasticity in muscles that restricts the person's movement and can lead to issues with speech and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is an often-repeated cause of CP. Nurses, midwives, and doctors should be extra cautious when delivering a baby because damage to the brain can cause serious harm. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain injury that causes cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for negligence. This is the case when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or failing to supervise and escalate an arduous labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he / will likely suffer from various physical symptoms. They could be characterized by tight or stiff joints or muscles, a limp, involuntary movement and issues with balance and posture. Other problems include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision problems.

Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to the developing brain, typically in infancy or early childhood. A delay in milestones, such as rolling over, sitting, walking, or crawling may be a sign of CP. Children with CP may also have difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding device.

A variety of factors can cause an injury to the brain that results in CP. This includes infections such as toxoplasmosis or rubella in the womb, 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.

The symptoms may range from mild to severe depending on the type. Spastic cerebral Palsy attorneys palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and body. Other forms of CP might include ataxic palsy, characterized by an unstable motion or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of people suffering from the condition are required to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have issues with balance and coordination. The type of problem that they have depends on what area of the brain was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy that allows them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and work their muscles and cerebral Palsy attorneys joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. Exercises, braces or other treatments might be incorporated.

Musculoskeletal disorders like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis and scoliosis are common in CP. These can cause major issues in mobility, which reduces life expectancy.

Speech and language therapy can be used to assist children who are not able to communicate effectively. This can help children learn new ways to communicate. This could include communication board, or voice synthesizers.

Medications can be used to ease stiff or overactive muscles and reduce abnormal movement. They also alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications are taken by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child to pay for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be based on the physical and psychological impact that your child's condition has caused on them, in addition to any losses and expenses you've incurred. These could include loss of earnings as you had stop work to take care of your child, house modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Based on the severity of your child's injuries the lawyer may recommend an expert in disability services to draft a 'life care plan' that meticulously lists all the needs of your child from the time of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will allow you to calculate a more accurate amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum and recurring annual payments which could be indexed to keep up with inflation.

You must be aware that the compensation for a successful legal claim is not a windfall. It's a recognition of injustice that occurred because medical professionals failed to meet their duty of care during labour, pregnancy and delivery.