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 that of their family. Compensation can help them lead an active and full life by providing access and equipment, as well as support.

Many cases of cerebral palsy arise from medical negligence. It can be caused by inadequate prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery, or other occurrences.

Causes

There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment may 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 assist in managing symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Everyone suffers from cerebral palsy in different ways. It can be mild with minimal impact on a child's function, or severe enough to result in impairments throughout the body. The signs include Floppy head (floppy neck) as well as a muscles that are stiff or inflexible, difficulty walking or having issues with speech or other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's called hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's called diplegia. A severe CP could result in a locked-in (spastic) condition, which is characterized by muscle spasticity. This could limit the movement of a person and make it difficult to speak and eating.

Birth complications are an often-repeated cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be careful when delivering the baby as damage to the brain could 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 negligence. This is the case when scheduling or performing a C section urgently or failing to monitor and increase an arduous labor.

Symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, he / will likely suffer from a combination of physical symptoms. These could include stiff or tight joints and limbs, a limp, erratic movements, and issues with balance and posture. Other problems include intellectual disabilities, speech delays as well as hearing and vision issues.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy lawsuits palsy result from damage to the brain of an infant. This occurs most often in the early years of childhood. A delay in achieving milestones such as sitting up, crawling, or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children with CP may also have difficulties swallowing, and may need a feeding device.

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to the brain injury that causes CP. This includes diseases like toxoplasmosis, or rubella in the womb high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a massive lack of oxygen) during delivery or labor is the most common cause of CP.

Based on the kind of cerebral palsy, the symptoms may range from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most prevalent type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow and uncontrolled movement of the arms, legs and the body. Other types of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, which has an unstable motion, or paraplegic cerebral palsy where the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy differ, the majority of people with the condition have to manage stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also experience issues with coordination and balance. The type of movement problem that they have depends on what area of the brain was injured and the degree of the injury.

Many people with CP require special physical therapy that can improve their muscle tone, mobility and stretch their muscles and joints. It also helps relieve pain and prevent contracture. It could include exercises, braces that are specially designed, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal disorders such as hip dysplasia, patella alta, cervical stenosis and scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These conditions can cause major mobility problems and reduce life expectancy.

Speech and therapy for language can be used to assist children who are not able to communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways of communicating and may include signing language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.

These medicines can be used to stop abnormal movements, reduce pain, and control seizures. These medications are ingested by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child to pay for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impacts that your child's condition has caused on them, in addition to any losses and expenses you've had to pay. This could include lost earnings due to having to take a break from work to take care of your children, house modifications and transport expenses.

The lawyer you hire may employ an expert in disability care according to the severity of the injuries to your child. The specialist will write an "life care plan" which outlines the needs of your child starting at the time of diagnosis until they reach the age of adulthood. This will help you determine an accurate amount of compensation. It typically is lump sums and regular annual payments that are indexed to keep up with inflation.

You should be aware that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a huge sum. It's a recognition of the injustice that occurred due to the fact that the medical professional failed to meet their duty of care during labour, pregnancy and birth.