How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has a profound effect on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live a full life with access to the equipment, care and assistance.

Many cases of cerebral Palsy (Pwi2.dragonicgames.Com) stem from medical negligence. This could be caused by the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during birth or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can help improve a child's abilities. Doctors diagnose CP in relation to the child's muscle tone and coordination. They may refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.

Everyone suffers from cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild, with minimal impact on a child's ability function, or severe and cause impairments throughout the body. Some of the symptoms include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head and muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled that are difficult to walk, or having trouble with speech and other functions. If a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia; on both sides, it's called diplegia. Severe CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition that causes spasticity in muscles that restricts the movement of a person and can lead to difficulties with speech and eating.

Childbirth-related mistakes made by doctors are a leading cause of CP. Nurses, midwives, and doctors should be cautious when delivering a baby because damage to the brain could 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 is the case when scheduling or performing a C-section in a hurry or failing to monitor and escalate an intense labor.

Symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from an array of physical symptoms. These symptoms could include tight or stiff muscles or joints, a limp, uncontrolled movements, and issues with posture and balance. Other issues can include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and vision and hearing issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain of an infant. It usually occurs during infancy or the early years of childhood. A delay in milestones, such as rolling over, sitting, walking, or crawling may be an indication of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding tube.

A variety of factors can cause an injury to the brain that results in CP. These include infections like toxoplasmosis and rubella in the womb high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A massive lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is the main cause of CP, as is bleeding in the brain that results from blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.

Depending on the form of cerebral palsy, symptoms can range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most common type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow movement of the legs, arms and the body. Other forms of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, characterized by an unstable motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy, in which the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy differ, the majority of sufferers of the condition have to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with coordination and balance. The type of problems they suffer from depend on the region of the brain that was injured as well as its degree of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy which helps them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and exercise their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve pain and prevent contracture. Braces, exercises or other treatments can be incorporated.

CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues, such as hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These conditions can cause major issues in mobility, which reduces the life expectancy of patients.

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

The use of medications can ease stiff or overactive muscles and reduce abnormal movement. They also reduce pain and seizures. The medications are administered by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.

Compensation

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

Depending on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer may recommend an expert in disability issues to write a "life care plan' that clearly defines their needs from the time of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will help you determine a more accurate amount of compensation. It typically is a lump sum and regular annual payments that are adjusted to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You must be aware that the amount of compensation you receive from a legal claim isn't a windfall. It's a recognition of the fact that injustice has occurred, and all due to a medical professional failed in their duty of providing care during labor, pregnancy and delivery.