How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has profound consequences for the child and their family. Compensation can allow them to live a full life with access to medical equipment, care and assistance.

Medical negligence is often the reason for cerebral palsy. This can be due to the lack of care during pregnancy, problems during birth or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment for CP can improve a child’s abilities. Doctors diagnose CP by observing the child's muscle tone and coordination. They may refer children to specialists like neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists, who can assist in managing symptoms and improving the quality of life for children.

Every person suffers from cerebral palsy differently. It can be relatively mild and have no impact on a child's abilities but it can also be severe and cause impairments across all body areas. The signs can include a Floppy head (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff or inflexible and walking difficulties, or issues with speech or other functions. If cerebral palsy is only affecting the child's body, it is called hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, then it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition that causes muscle spasticity that limits an individual's movements and leads to difficulties in speaking and eating.

The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is the most common cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be aware when delivering babies because brain damage may have serious consequences. A physician could be held responsible for negligence if a medical error causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deficiency. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing a C-section urgently or the failure to monitor and escalate a complicated labor.

Symptoms

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, they'll most likely exhibit a variety of physical signs. These may include tight joints or stiff joints as well as a limp, uncontrolled movement and problems with balance and posture. Other problems include speech delays, intellectual disabilities as well as hearing and vision issues.

The symptoms of baton rouge cerebral palsy attorney palsy result from damage to the brain's maturation. This is usually the case in the infant or early years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones, such as rolling over, standing up, crawling or walking is a typical sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience difficulty swallowing and may require feeding tubes.

Several factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that leads to CP or CP-related conditions, including infections such as toxoplasmosis, rubella or cytomegalovirus in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during the birth or during labor is a major reason for CP and bleeding in the brain due to blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.

Depending on the type of cerebral palsy, baton rouge cerebral palsy attorney the symptoms may vary from mild to severe. Spastic luray cerebral palsy law firm palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent form. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow motions of the arms, legs and body. Other types of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy that has an unstable motion or paraplegic cerebral aphasia that affects the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Though the symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary, the majority of patients with the condition experience stiffness, as well as a decrease in muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement problem that they have depends on the area of the brain that was injured and the severity of the injury.

Many people suffering from CP need specific physical therapy in order to improve their mobility, flexibility, and muscle tone and stretch their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. It could include exercises, special braces, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal issues like hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These can cause major problems in mobility, which can reduce the life expectancy of patients.

Speech and therapy for language are a way to aid children who are not able to communicate effectively. This may help children learn new ways to communicate and may include sign language, communication board or voice synthesizers.

These medicines can be used to decrease the abnormal movement, reduce pain, and prevent seizures. These medicines can be taken orally, or directly injected into the muscles affected, or into the surrounding fluid of your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child to pay for specialist care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any expenses and losses you've incurred. This could include lost earnings due to you having to stop working to care for your children, home modifications and transportation expenses.

The lawyer you hire may employ an expert in disability care dependent on the severity of the injury to your child. The specialist will create a "life care plan" which outlines the needs of your child from the moment they are diagnosed until they turn adults. This can help determine an exact compensation amount. This is usually in the form of a lump-sum and regular annual payments, that can be adjusted to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You should know that compensation for a successful legal case is not a quick cash payout. It is a recognition that injustice was committed, all because medical professionals did not fulfill their duty of medical care during pregnancy, labour and the birth.