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 family. Compensation can enable them to lead an active and healthy life by providing access to care, equipment and assistance.
Medical negligence is usually the cause of cerebral palsy. This could be due to an absence of prenatal care, complications during labor and delivery, or other incidents.
Causes
Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can enhance a child's capabilities. Doctors determine CP through the child's movement, muscle tone and coordination. 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 a unique way. It can be moderate and have only a slight impact on a child's ability but it can also be severe and cause impairments to all areas of the body. Symptoms can include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head and stiff or uncontrolled muscles and walking difficulties, or having difficulty speaking and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's called diplegia. A severe CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition that causes muscle spasticity that restricts a person's movements and leads to difficulties with speech and eating.
Medical mistakes during childbirth are one of the main causes of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be aware when delivering babies because brain damage can have serious consequences. A doctor could be held accountable for negligence if a medical error results in cerebral palsy, or brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This includes negligence 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, they will most likely exhibit a variety of physical signs. This could include stiff or tight joints, a limp, uncontrolled movement and problems with balance and posture. Other problems include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and vision and hearing problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain of an infant. cerebral palsy attorneys bellevue is usually the case during the infancy years of childhood. A slowing down in reaching milestones such as standing up, crawling or walking is a common sign of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to experience trouble swallowing and might need feeding tubes.
Several factors may contribute to a brain injury causing CP. These include infections like toxoplasmosis or rubella in the womb, high blood pressure during pregnancy; and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a serious lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the leading cause of CP.
Depending on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms may vary from mild to severe. The most frequent type of cerebral palsy can be described as spastic cerebral palsy, which is manifested by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid, choreoathetoid, choreoathetoid) is defined by uncontrolled and slow writhing of the legs, arms and the body. Other forms of CP can include ataxic palsy, which has shakey movements and paraplegic cerebral parsy that affects the arms and legs are affected.
Treatment
While the specific symptoms of cerebral palsy vary, most people suffering from the condition are required to contend with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement issue that they suffer from is dependent on the area of the brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.
Many people with CP need specialized physical therapy to improve their mobility, muscle tone, and stretch their muscles and joints. It can also ease the discomfort and prevent contracture. Braces, exercises or other treatments might be included.
CP is characterised by musculoskeletal conditions, such as hip dysplasia and patella alta. Scoliosis and cervical stenosis also occur. These disorders can lead to significant mobility issues that reduce the lifespan.
Speech and therapy for language can be used to help children who are unable to communicate effectively. It can help children develop new ways of communicating. These may include signing language, a communication board or voice synthesizers.
They can relax muscles that are stiff or overactive or muscles, limit abnormal movement, alleviate pain, and to control seizures. The medications are administered by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the surrounding fluid around the spinal cord.
Compensation
A successful cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child's for special care, equipment and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has had on them, as well as the costs and losses you've incurred. This could include the loss of earnings because you have had to stop work to care for your child, home modifications and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments.
Depending on the severity of your child's injuries the lawyer might recommend hiring a specialist in disability care to develop a "lifecare plan' that defines their needs beginning with the date of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This can help calculate the most accurate compensation amount. This usually takes the form of a lump sum as well as regular annual payments which may be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.
You must be aware that compensation for a legal case that is successful is not a monetary windfall. It's a recognition that injustice has occurred, all because medical professionals did not fulfill their duty of providing care during labor, pregnancy and delivery.