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 allow them to live a full and fulfilling life, with access to equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy stem from medical negligence. This could be due to inadequate prenatal care, complications during labor and delivery or other events.

Causes

There is no cure for CP, but early diagnosis and treatment can improve the child's capabilities. Doctors diagnose CP by looking at the muscle tone of a child and coordination, as well as movement. They can refer the child to specialists such as neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy in a different way. It can be relatively mild and have no impact on a child's abilities, or it can be severe and cause impairments to all body parts. Symptoms can include a floppy (floppy neck) head as well as stiff or uncontrolled muscles, difficulty walking, or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, cerebral palsy attorney it's known as diplegia. In severe cases, CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with spasticity in muscles that restricts the movement of a person and can lead to problems with speech and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be extra cautious when giving birth to babies since brain damage 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 malpractice. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or failure to monitor and escalate a complicated labor.

Symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or is likely to experience several physical symptoms. These could include tight joints or stiff joints and limbs, a limp, erratic movement, and issues with balance and posture. Other problems can include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and hearing and vision problems.

Cerebral Palsy symptoms are caused by a degeneration of the brain, which is usually seen in the early years of childhood or in infants. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as sitting up, crawling, or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have trouble swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Several factors may contribute to an injury to the brain that results in CP. This includes diseases like toxoplasmosis, or rubella in the womb; high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is a major cause of CP, as is bleeding in the brain caused by damaged or blocked blood vessels.

The symptoms can range from mild to extreme based on the type. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most frequent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy Attorney Palsy (also called athetoid choreoathetoid and choreoathetoid) is characterised by a slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms, and body. Other forms of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which has a shaky movement) or paraplegic CP that affects the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms of cerebral palsy vary, the majority of people who suffer from the condition experience stiffness and a loss in muscle control. They may also have issues with coordination and balance. The type of problems they suffer from depend on the area of their brain which was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people with CP need specific physical therapy in order to increase their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone, and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also ease discomfort and prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments can be included.

Musculoskeletal conditions like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These conditions can cause significant mobility issues which can reduce the life expectancy of patients.

Speech and therapy for language can be used to assist children who are not able to communicate effectively. This can help them to discover new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

These medications can be used to reduce abnormal movements, decrease the pain, and manage seizures. These medicines can be taken orally or injected directly into the affected muscles, or the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.

Compensation

If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you could be compensated to cover the cost of special care, equipment, and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical effects that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any losses and expenses you have incurred. These might include loss of earnings because you have had to leave work in order to care for your child, home adaptations and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Depending on the severity of your child's injuries, your lawyer may hire a specialist in disability care to write a "life care plan' that carefully lists all the needs of your child starting from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help calculate an exact compensation amount. It usually takes the form of a lump-sum and recurring annual payments which could be indexed to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You must be aware that compensation for a successful legal claim is not a quick cash payout. It is a recognition that injustice has occurred due to medical professionals failed to fulfill their obligation to providing care during labor, pregnancy and the birth.