How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have profound effects on the life of the child as well as the lives of their family. Compensation can help them live a fuller life, with access to the equipment, care and support.
Medical negligence is usually the reason for cerebral palsy. This can be caused by an absence of medical attention prior to pregnancy, problems during labor and delivery or other incidents.
Causes
There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment can help improve the child's capabilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the tone of a child's muscles and coordination. They might refer the child to specialists like pediatric orthopedists, neurologists and physiatrists who can assist in managing symptoms and improving the quality of life for children.
Cerebral palsy affects every person differently. It can be mild, with minimal impact on a child's perform, or it can be severe and result in impairments throughout the body. The signs can include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck) muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled that is difficult to walk or has problems with speech and other functions. If cerebral palsy only affects the child's body, it is known as hemiplegia. If it affects both sides of the body, it is referred to as diplegia. A severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition that is characterized by muscle spasticity that restricts an individual's movements and leads to difficulties with speech and eating.
The occurrence of medical errors during childbirth is a common cause of CP. Midwives, doctors and nurses must be careful when delivering the baby as damage to the brain can have serious consequences. A doctor could be held responsible for malpractice if a medical error results in cerebral palsy, or brain damage due to oxygen deficiency. This includes a lack of planning or performing an urgent C-section or failure to monitor and escalate a complex labor.
Symptoms
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or is likely to experience various physical symptoms. These could include tight or stiff joints and limbs, a limp, erratic movement and problems with balance and posture. Other problems can include intellectual disability, speech delays and hearing and vision issues.
Cerebral Palsy symptoms are caused due to damage to the young brain, which is usually seen in early childhood or infants. A delay in milestones like sitting, rolling over, walking, or crawling may be an indication of CP. Children with CP may also have difficulties swallowing, and may need a feeding device.
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 and high blood pressure in pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a serious lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the most common cause of CP.
The symptoms can range from mild to extreme based on the type. The most common kind of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy. It is manifested by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also called choreoathetoid, or athetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms and body. Other forms of CP include ataxic cerebral Palsy (which has a shaky movement) or paraplegic CP which affects the arms and legs are affected.
Treatment
Although the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy vary, most sufferers of the condition have to deal with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have problems with balance and coordination. The kind of problems they have depend on the area of their brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.
Many people with CP need special physical therapy to improve their muscle tone, mobility, and stretch their muscles and joints. It can also help relieve discomfort and prevent contracture. Exercises, braces or other treatments can be incorporated.
CP is caused by musculoskeletal issues that include hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis can also be seen. These can cause major problems in mobility, which decreases life expectancy.
Other treatments include speech and language therapies for children who cannot communicate effectively. This can help them to learn new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.
The use of medications can relax stiff or overactive muscles, reduce abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. These medications can be taken orally or directly into the affected muscles, or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.
cerebral palsy lawsuit baton rouge could result in compensation for your child's for specialized care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impacts that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as any costs or losses that you've incurred. This could include losing earnings because you have had to take a break from work to care for your child, home modifications and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the degree of the injury to your child the lawyer might recommend hiring an expert in disability issues to develop a "lifecare plan' that carefully details their needs from the date of their diagnosis until adulthood. This can help you calculate the most accurate amount of compensation. This is usually in the form of a lump-sum and regular annual payments, which can be index to keep pace with inflation.
It is important to know that the compensation resulting from a successful legal action isn't a gimmick. It is a recognition of the injustice that occurred due to the fact that a medical professional did not fulfill their duty of care in labour, pregnancy and birth.