How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis has a profound impact on the child's life as well as the lives of their families. Compensation can help them live a full and active life by providing access, equipment and support.

Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy lawsuit palsy. This can be caused by the lack of prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery, or other occurrences.

Causes

There is no cure for CP but early detection and treatment can improve the capabilities of a child. Doctors determine CP based on the child's movement, muscle coordination and tone. They may refer children to specialists such as neurologists, pediatric orthopedists, and physiatrists who will assist in managing symptoms and increase the quality of life.

Cerebral Palsy affects each person differently. It can be mild with no impact on a child's ability function, or severe and cause physical impairments throughout the body. The signs include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head, stiff or uncontrolled muscles that are difficult to walk, or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If cerebral palsy only affects one side of a child's body, it is called hemiplegia. If it affects both sides of the body, then it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP can cause a locked in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This may limit the person's mobility and make it difficult to speak and eating.

Medical mistakes during childbirth are the leading cause of CP. Doctors, midwives, and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies since brain damage can result in serious consequences. A physician may be held liable for malpractice if a medical mistake causes cerebral palsy or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or failing to monitor and increase the intensity of labor.

Signs and symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, they will most likely exhibit a variety of physical signs. They could be characterized by tight joints or stiff joints as well as a limp, uncontrolled movement, and issues with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and hearing and vision problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to an immature brain. It usually occurs in the early years of childhood. A delay in milestones, such as sitting, rolling over, walking, or crawling may be a sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding tube.

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

Based on the kind of cerebral palsy, the symptoms may range from mild to severe. The most commonly encountered form of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy. It is defined by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid or choreoathetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow flailing movements of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy that has shakey movements, or paraplegic cerebral palsy that affects the arms and legs are affected.

Treatment

Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary, a majority of sufferers of the condition have to cope with stiffness and loss of 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 extent of the injury.

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

CP is defined by musculoskeletal problems like patella alta and hip dysplasia. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis are also common. These can cause major issues in mobility, Cerebral Palsy reducing life expectancy.

Other treatments could include speech and language therapies for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can help children discover new ways of communicating and could include 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 by mouth or directly into the affected muscles or into the fluid around your spinal cord.

Compensation

If your case of cerebral palsy is successful, you could be awarded compensation to cover the cost of special care, equipment, and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any expenses and losses you've had to pay. These could include loss of earnings because you have had to leave work in order to care for your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.

The lawyer you hire may employ an expert in disability care according to the extent of the injury to your child. The specialist will create an "life care plan" that outlines their needs from the moment they are diagnosed until they turn adults. This can help you calculate an exact amount of compensation. It is typically in the form of a lump-sum and annual installments, which could be indexed to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

You should be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal claim isn't a windfall. It's a way of acknowledging an unfairness that was caused by medical professionals failed to perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and delivery.