How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy can have profound effects on the child and their family. Compensation can allow them to live an active and healthy life by providing access to treatment and equipment, as well as support.

Medical negligence is usually the cause of cerebral palsy. This can be due to the lack of medical attention during pregnancy, difficulties during birth or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can enhance a child's abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by observing the tone of a child's muscles and coordination, as well as movement. They might refer children to specialists such as pediatric orthopedists, neurologists and physiatrists, who can help manage symptoms and improve life-quality.

Cerebral palsy affects every person differently. It can be mild with no impact on a child's ability to function, or severe enough to cause impairments throughout the body. The symptoms could include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck) and a stiff or uncontrolled muscle, difficulty walking or having problems with speech and other functions. If cerebral palsy only affects the child's body, then it is called hemiplegia. If it affects both sides of the body, then it's called diplegia. In severe cases, CP could result in a locked-in (spastic) condition, characterized by muscle spasticity. This can restrict the ability of a person to move and can create difficulties with speech and eating.

Medical mistakes in childbirth are an often-repeated cause of CP. Nurses, doctors, and midwives must be careful when delivering babies as damage to the brain could result in serious consequences. If a medical error causes oxygen deprivation or other brain injuries that cause cerebral palsy, the doctor may be held liable for negligence. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section in a hurry or failing to monitor and escalate the intensity of the labor.

Symptoms

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

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the brain's maturation. This is usually the case in the infant or early years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have difficulties swallowing and may require a feeding tube.

Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that causes CP or CP-related conditions, including infections such as rubella, toxoplasmosis or cytomegalovirus in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a massive lack of oxygen) during labor or birth is the most common cause of CP.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe based on the type of. The most prevalent type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral paralysis, which is characterized by muscles that are stiff. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid or cerebral palsy choreoathetoid) involves uncontrolled and slow movement of the arms, legs and the body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral palsy (which has a shaky movement) or paraplegic CP, where the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

Though the symptoms of cerebral palsy can differ, the majority of patients with the condition experience stiffness and a loss in muscle control. They may also have issues with balance and coordination. The kind of problems they experience will depend on the area of their brain that was injured as well as its degree of the injury.

Many people with CP require specialized physical therapy that helps them improve their mobility and muscle tone and stretch and work their joints and muscles. It also helps relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. It may include exercises, special braces or other treatments.

CP is characterised by musculoskeletal conditions such as hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis may also be present. These conditions can cause major mobility problems and reduce life expectancy.

Speech and therapy for language can be used to aid children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help them to discover new ways to communicate and may involve sign language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

These medicines are used to limit abnormal movements, reduce pain, and control seizures. These medications can be administered orally, or directly injected into the affected muscles, or into the surrounding fluid of your spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy law firm palsy claim could result in compensation for your child to pay for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be based on the physical and psychological impact that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any losses and expenses that you've incurred. These could include loss of earnings due to having to leave work in order to care for your child, home adaptions and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability 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 from the time of diagnosis until they reach the age of adulthood. This can help determine an exact compensation amount. This is usually in the form of a lump-sum and recurring annual payments which may be indexed to keep pace with inflation.

It is important to know that the amount of compensation you receive for a successful legal matter is not a monetary windfall. It's a recognition of the fact that injustice has occurred due to medical professionals did not fulfill their obligation to taking care during labour, pregnancy and the birth.