How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has profound effects on the life of the child and the lives of their family. Compensation can allow them to have a fulfilling life by giving them access to equipment, treatment and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral palsy stem from medical negligence. This could be due to the lack of prenatal care, issues during labor and birth or other incidents.

Causes

There is no cure for CP but early detection and treatment can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors diagnose CP in relation to the child's 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 is affected by cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be relatively mild and have no impact on a child's ability or severe and cause impairments across all body areas. Symptoms can include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head and stiff or uncontrolled muscles as well as difficulty walking or having trouble with speech and other functions. If a child's condition is cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's known as diplegia. In severe cases, CP may lead to a locked in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This could limit the movement of a person and result in difficulty speaking and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be extra cautious when giving birth to babies since brain damage can result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain damage that causes cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for negligence. This includes a lack of planning or performing a C-section urgently or inability to monitor and escalate a complicated labor.

Symptoms

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

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain's immature state. This is usually the case during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as sitting up, crawling or walking is a common sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have trouble swallowing and might need feeding tubes.

A variety of factors can cause the brain injury that causes CP. These include infections like toxoplasmosis and rubella in the womb high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during labor or delivery is a major reason for CP as is bleeding in the brain caused by blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.

Depending on the type of cerebral palsy attorney palsy, symptoms may range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (go to Utahsyardsale) (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most common type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled flailing movements of the arms, legs and the body. Other types of CP can include ataxic palsy that has an unstable motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy that affects legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy are different, the majority of people with the condition have to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement problems they experience will depend on the region of the brain that was injured as well as the severity.

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

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues such as patella alta and cerebral palsy hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cerebral palsy cervical stenosis can also be seen. These can cause significant issues in mobility, reducing the life expectancy of patients.

Other treatments include speech and language therapy for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can assist them to discover new ways of communicating and may involve sign language, communication boards, or voice synthesizers.

The use of medications can relax muscles that are stiff or overactive to reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications are taken by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child's for specialized care, equipment and treatment. The amount will be determined upon the physical and mental impact of your child's condition, as well as on any expenses or losses you may have suffered. This could include the loss of income due to the fact that you have to take a break from work to care for your children, home modifications and transportation costs.

Depending on the extent of your child's injury the lawyer might recommend hiring a specialist in disability care to write a "life care plan' that lists all the needs of your child starting from the date of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will allow you to calculate an exact amount of compensation. This typically will be a lump sum and regular annual payments which can be adjusted to keep pace with inflation.

It is important to know that compensation from a successful legal claim isn't a windfall. It's an acknowledgement that injustice has occurred due to medical professionals didn't fulfill their obligation to care during pregnancy, labour and the birth.