How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy will have a profound effect on the child and their family. Compensation can help them lead an active and healthy life by allowing access to care equipment and support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This can be caused by the lack of prenatal care, problems 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 determine CP by observing the child's movement, muscle coordination and tone. They may refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can assist in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy attorneys palsy in a different way. It can be mild, with minimal impact on a child's ability function, or severe enough to cause impairments throughout the body. The symptoms can include a floppy head (floppy neck) as well as a muscles that are stiff or inflexible as well as difficulty walking or having problems with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's diplegia. Severe CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity that restricts the person's movement and can lead to difficulties with speech and eating.

Childbirth-related medical errors are the most common reason for CP. Nurses, doctors, and midwives should be extra cautious when delivering babies as damage to the brain can cause serious harm. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for negligence. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C section urgently or failing to monitor and increase an arduous labor.

Symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, he / is likely to have an array of physical symptoms. These could include tight or stiff joints as well as a limp, uncontrolled movement, and issues with balance and posture. Other issues include intellectual disability, speech delays and hearing and vision problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain's immature state. It usually occurs during infancy or the early years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as standing up, crawling or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience trouble swallowing and might need a feeding tube.

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP or CP-related conditions, including infections such as toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus 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.

Depending on the form of cerebral palsy lawsuits palsy, the symptoms may range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled motions of the legs, arms and body. Other forms of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has a shaky motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy where the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, 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 coordination and balance. The type of movement problem that they have depends on which brain area was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy that can increase their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also relieve tension and prevent contractures. It may include exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis can also be seen. These conditions can cause major mobility problems which can reduce the life expectancy of patients.

Speech and language therapy can be used to aid children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children discover new ways to communicate. This could include signing language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.

They can relax overactive or stiff muscles, reduce abnormal movement, reduce pain, and manage seizures. These drugs can be taken orally or injected directly into the muscles affected, or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child to pay for 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 costs or losses you've had to pay. This could be a loss of earnings due to having to stop working to take care of your children, house modifications and transportation costs.

Based on the severity of your child's injury the lawyer might recommend hiring an expert in disability services to create a "life care plan' that carefully outlines all their needs from the time of their diagnosis until adulthood. This will allow you to calculate an exact amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of lump sums and regular annual payments which can be adjusted to keep up with the rate of inflation.

You must be aware that the amount of compensation you receive for a successful legal matter is not a windfall. It's an acknowledgement of injustice that occurred because medical professionals did not fulfill their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and delivery.