How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy has an impact on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live a full and fulfilling life, with access to equipment, treatment and support.

Medical negligence is usually the reason for cerebral palsy. This can be caused by the lack of prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery or other events.

Causes

Early diagnosis and treatment of CP can enhance a child's capabilities. Doctors diagnose CP in relation to the child's movements, 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 quality of life.

Every person is affected by cerebral palsy in a different way. It can be mild and have little impact on the child's capabilities but it can also be severe and cause impairments in every body part. The symptoms can include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck) and a muscles that are stiff or inflexible and walking difficulties, or problems with speech and other functions. If a child only has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. If it occurs on both sides, it's known as diplegia. A severe CP can cause a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity that limits an individual's movements and leads to problems with speech and eating.

Medical mistakes during childbirth are the most common cause of CP. Doctors, midwives and nurses must be cautious when delivering babies since brain damage can have serious consequences. If a medical error results in oxygen deprivation or other brain damage that causes cerebral palsy, the doctor may be held liable for negligence. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or failing to supervise and escalate an intense labor.

Symptoms

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, they'll most likely display a variety of physical symptoms. These symptoms could include tight or stiff muscles as well as a limp, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture and Vimeo balance. Other issues can include speech delays, intellectual disabilities and hearing and vision problems.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy result from damage to the brain's maturation. This occurs most often during infancy or the early years of childhood. A delay in reaching milestones such as sitting up, crawling or walking is a common symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have trouble swallowing and might need a feeding tube.

Many factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that triggers CP or Vimeo CP-related conditions, including infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis in the womb and high blood pressure in pregnancy and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor vimeo or delivery is the leading cause of CP.

The symptoms may range from mild to severe depending on the type. The most frequent type of cerebral palsy can be described as spastic cerebral palsy, which is characterised by muscles that are stiff. Dyskinetic cerebral Palsy (also called athetoid choreoathetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterised by a uncontrolled and slow writhing of the legs, arms and body. Other types of CP include ataxic san clemente cerebral palsy lawyer palsy (which has a shaky, jerky movement) or paraplegic CP in which the legs and arms are affected.

Treatment

While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy are different, the majority of sufferers have to cope with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also be struggling with balance and coordination. The type of movement problems they suffer from depend on the part of the brain which was injured and the severity.

Many people with CP require specific physical therapy that assists them improve their mobility and muscle tone as well as stretch and exercise their joints and muscles. It can also ease the discomfort and help prevent contractures. It can include exercises, braces with special features, or other treatments.

Musculoskeletal disorders such as patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, and scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These can cause major problems in mobility, reducing the lifespan of a patient.

Other treatments can include speech and language therapy for children who are unable to communicate effectively. This may help them discover new ways of communicating and could include sign language, communication boards or voice synthesizers.

The use of medications can relax stiff or overactive muscles and reduce abnormal movement. They also relieve pain, and control seizures. The medications are administered by mouth or injected into the affected muscles or into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.

Compensation

A successful cerebral palsy claim can result in compensation for your child to pay for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. The compensation will be based upon the physical and mental effects of your child's condition as well as any losses or expenses you may have suffered. This could include the loss of earnings due to having to stop work to care for your child, house modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.

Depending on the extent of your child's injury the lawyer may recommend an expert in disability issues to write a "life care plan' that carefully details their needs from the time of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This will allow you to calculate the most accurate amount of compensation. This is usually in the form of a lump-sum and regular annual payments, which may be indexed to keep up with the rate of inflation.

It is important to understand that the compensation awarded for a successful legal claim is not a windfall. It's an acknowledgement of injustice that occurred because the medical professional failed to meet their duty of care during labour, pregnancy and the delivery.