How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have profound implications on the life of the child and the lives of their parents. Compensation can help them have a fulfilling life by giving them access to equipment, care and support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy lawyer palsy arise from medical negligence. This can be caused by a lack of prenatal care, complications during labor and delivery, or other incidents.

Causes

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

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy differently. It can be relatively mild and have no impact on a child's ability or severe and cause impairments across every body part. The signs include neck that is floppy (floppy neck), muscles that are stiff or inflexible that is difficult to walk or has issues with speech or other functions. If a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's known as diplegia. The severity of CP may lead to a locked in (spastic) condition, which is characterized by muscle spasticity. This may limit a person's movement and make it difficult to speak and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a common cause of CP. Nurses, doctors, and midwives must be careful when delivering a baby because damage to the brain can cause serious harm. If a medical error causes oxygen deprivation or other brain injury that causes cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for malpractice. This includes negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or the failure to control and escalate a complicated labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child has cerebral palsy, he / is likely to experience various physical symptoms. These may include stiff or tight joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, and issues with balance and posture. Other issues can include intellectual disability, speech delays as well as hearing and vision issues.

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

Several factors can contribute to the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP, including infections like rubella, toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is the main cause of CP as is bleeding in the brain from damaged or blocked blood vessels.

Based on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms may vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled motions of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy lawsuits palsy, which is characterized by a shaky motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy in which the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy vary, most people with the condition have to cope with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with balance and coordination. The type of movement issue that they face is determined by which brain area was injured and the severity of the injury.

Many people with CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and work their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. Braces, exercises or other treatments may be considered.

Musculoskeletal disorders like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis and scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These can cause significant issues in mobility, which reduces the lifespan of a patient.

Other treatments may include speech and language therapies for children who cannot communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways to communicate and may include sign language, communication board or voice synthesizers.

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

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child to pay for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impacts that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any costs or losses you've had to pay. This could be a loss of earnings due to you having to stop working to take care of your children, home adaptations and transport costs.

Your lawyer might hire an specialist in disability care, depending on the degree of the injury to your child. The specialist will create a "life care plan" which outlines the needs of your child from the time of diagnosis until they become adults. This can help determine an exact compensation amount. It is typically in the form of a lump-sum and annual installments, which can be index to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You should know that compensation for a legal case that is successful is not a cash-flow opportunity. It's a recognition of injustice that occurred because the medical professional failed to fulfill their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and birth.