How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy attorneys paralysis has an enormous impact on the life of the child and the lives of their families. Compensation can allow them to live a full life with access to the equipment, care and support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. This can be caused by inadequate medical attention prior to pregnancy, problems during labor and delivery, or other incidents.

Causes

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

Cerebral palsy affects all people differently. It can be mild with a minimal effect on a child's ability to perform, or it can be severe and cause impairments throughout the body. Symptoms can include a floppy (floppy neck) head, stiff or uncontrolled muscles and walking difficulties, or having difficulty speaking and other functions. If cerebral palsy only affects one side of a child's body, then it is referred to as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides of the body, then it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP can lead to a locked-in (spastic) condition characterized by muscle spasticity that limits the movement of a person and can lead to difficulties in speaking and eating.

Birth complications are a frequent cause of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies because damage to the brain could cause serious problems. A physician could be held responsible for malpractice if a medical error causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or inability to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he / is likely to experience a combination of physical symptoms. These may include stiff or tight joints or muscles, a limp, involuntary movement and problems with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain's immature state. This occurs most often in the infant or early years of childhood. A delay in achieving milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children with CP may also have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Many factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that leads to CP that can be caused by infections such as rubella, toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the main cause of CP.

Symptoms can be mild or extreme based on the type. The most commonly encountered form of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral psoriasis, which is manifested by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) involves slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and the body. Other forms of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, characterized by an unstable motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy where legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Although the symptoms of cerebral palsy may differ, most patients with the condition experience stiffness and a loss in muscle control. They might also have problems with coordination and balance. The type of problem that they have depends on the brain region that was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people with CP require specialized physical therapy that helps them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and exercise their joints and muscles. It can also ease the pain and prevent contractures. It may include exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.

CP is characterised by musculoskeletal conditions such as patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis may also be present. These can cause significant issues in mobility, which decreases the life expectancy of patients.

Other treatments could include speech and language therapy for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help them to discover new ways to communicate and could include sign language, communication boards, or voice synthesizers.

These medications can be used to relax stiff or overactive muscles and reduce abnormal movement. They also reduce pain, and manage seizures. The medication is taken by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.

Compensation

If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you could be awarded compensation to you pay for special care, equipment, and treatment. The compensation will be based upon the physical and mental effects of your child's illness and any losses or expenses that you might have incurred. These could include loss of income due to having stop work to take care of your child, home modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer might hire an expert in disability care, depending on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will write a "life care plan" that will outline their needs from the moment of diagnosis until they are adults. This will allow you to calculate a more accurate amount of compensation. It typically is in the form of lump sums and regular annual payments, which can be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.

It is important to be aware that compensation from a successful legal action isn't a gimmick. It is a recognition that injustice has occurred due to a medical professional failed in their duty of taking care during labour, pregnancy and delivery.