How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have profound effects on the child's life and the lives of their parents. Compensation can allow them to live a full and fulfilling life, with access to the equipment, care and support.
Many cases of cerebral palsy stem from medical negligence. It can be caused by an absence of medical attention prior to pregnancy, problems during labor and delivery or other events.
Causes
Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can improve a child’s abilities. Doctors determine CP by observing the child's movements, muscle coordination and tone. They might refer the child to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedists or physiatrists. These specialists can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Cerebral Palsy affects each person differently. It can be relatively mild and have no impact on the child's capabilities but it can also be severe and cause impairments in all body areas. cerebral palsy attorneys birmingham can include a head that is floppy (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff or inflexible and walking difficulties, or issues with speech or other functions. If cerebral palsy only affects the child's body, then it is called hemiplegia. If it affects both sides, it is referred to as diplegia. The severity of CP can cause a locked in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This may limit a person's movement and cause difficulty with speech and eating.
Medical mistakes during childbirth are a leading cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be cautious when delivering babies since brain damage can have serious consequences. A doctor could be held accountable for mistakes made in the medical field if an error results in cerebral palsy, or brain damage due to oxygen deficiency. This could include negligence in scheduling or performing an urgent C-section or the failure to control and escalate a complicated labor.
Symptoms
If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, he or will likely suffer from a combination of physical symptoms. The symptoms can include stiff or tight muscles and a limp, involuntary movements, and issues with balance and posture. Other issues include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and vision and hearing problems.
Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by a degeneration of the brain, most often during infancy or early childhood. The delay in milestones such as rolling over, sitting, walking, or crawling may be a sign of CP. Children with CP may also have trouble swallowing and may require a feeding device.
Many factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that leads to CP and other conditions, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. A significant lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during pregnancy or birth is a major cause for CP as is bleeding in the brain due to blood vessels that are blocked or damaged.
The symptoms can range from mild to severe based on the type of. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most common type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called athetoid, choreoathetoid, choreoathetoid) is defined by slow and uncontrolled writhing of the arms, legs and body. Other forms of CP might include ataxic palsy that has shakey movements and paraplegic cerebral parsy where legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
Although the symptoms of cerebral palsy may vary, the majority people suffering from the condition experience stiffness, as well as a decrease in muscle control. They may also experience issues with coordination and balance. The type of movement problem that they suffer from is dependent on the area of the brain that was injured and the extent of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP need specialized physical therapy to improve their mobility, tone of muscles and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also help relieve pain and prevent contracture. Exercises, braces or other treatments may be considered.
Musculoskeletal conditions like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These disorders can lead to significant mobility issues, which reduces life expectancy.
Other treatments include speech and language therapies for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children discover new ways of communicating and may include sign language, a communication board, or voice synthesizers.
These medications are used to limit the abnormal movement, reduce the pain, and manage seizures. These medications are ingested by mouth or injected into affected muscles or into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.
Compensation
A successful claim for cerebral palsy could result in compensation for your child to pay for specialist care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical effects that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any costs or losses you've incurred. These could include loss of earnings because you have had to stop work to take care of your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the severity of your child's injuries the lawyer may recommend a specialist in disability care to write a "life care plan' that meticulously details their needs from the time of their diagnosis until adulthood. This will help you determine the most accurate amount of compensation. It usually takes the form of a lump sum and recurring annual payments that can be adjusted to keep up with inflation.
It is important to know that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a huge sum. It's an acknowledgement that injustice has occurred, and all due to medical professionals failed to fulfill their duty of providing care during labor, pregnancy and delivery.