How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have an enormous impact on the child's life as well as the lives of their parents. Compensation can allow them to live an active and fulfilling life by providing access to treatment and equipment, as well as support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy result from medical negligence. This could be due to inadequate prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery or other events.

Causes

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

Everyone is affected by cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild and have a minimal impact on a child's ability however, it can also be severe and cause impairments in all areas of the body. The symptoms can include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck) stiff or uncontrolled muscle, difficulty walking or having problems with speech and other functions. If a child's condition is cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia. On both sides, it's known as diplegia. A severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity, which restricts the person's movement and can lead to difficulties in speaking and eating.

Childbirth-related medical errors are a common cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and cerebral palsy nurses should be careful when delivering babies because brain damage may result in serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation, or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the physician could be held responsible for malpractice. This includes a lack of planning or performing an urgent C-section, or inability to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.

Symptoms

If your child has cerebral palsy, he / will likely suffer from several physical symptoms. These symptoms could include stiff or tight muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, and issues with balance and posture. Other issues could include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and Cerebral palsy hearing issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to an immature brain. This occurs most often during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as sitting up, crawling, or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children suffering from CP may also have difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding device.

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of an injury to the brain that causes CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. A serious lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during birth or labor is a major cause for CP as is bleeding in the brain from blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.

Based on the type of cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy, the symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as choreoathetoid or athetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled movement of the arms, legs and the body. Other types of CP may include ataxic cerebral palsy, characterized by shakey movements, or paraplegic cerebral palsy in which legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy law firm palsy are different, the majority of people with the condition have to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have issues with balance and coordination. The type of movement problem that they face is determined by the brain region that was injured and the extent of the injury.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy that can increase their muscle tone, mobility, and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also help relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. Braces, exercises or other treatments might be included.

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

Other treatments include speech and language therapy for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children learn new ways of communicating. These may include sign language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.

These medications can be used to decrease the abnormal movement, reduce pain, and prevent seizures. These medications can be administered orally, or directly injected into the affected muscles, or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child to pay for specialized care, equipment and treatment. The amount will be determined on the physical and mental impact of your child's condition, as well as on any expenses or losses that you might have incurred. This could include losing earnings due to having to leave work in order to take care of your child, home modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Depending on the severity of your child's injury, your lawyer may hire an expert in disability issues to write a "life care plan' that carefully lists all the needs of your child beginning with the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help calculate the most accurate compensation amount. This typically takes the form of lump sums as well as regular annual payments that are adjusted to keep up with the rate of inflation.

It is important to be aware that the amount of compensation you receive from a legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a recognition of injustice that occurred because a medical professional did not perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and birth.