How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim
A diagnosis of cerebral paralysis can have an enormous impact on the life of the child and the lives of their family. cerebral palsy law firm fargo can help them have a fulfilling life by giving them access to the equipment, care and assistance.
Medical negligence is often the cause of cerebral palsy. This could be caused by inadequate care during pregnancy, problems during the birth process or other incidents.
Causes
There is no cure for CP but early detection and treatment can improve the capabilities of a child. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the tone of a child's muscles and coordination. They might 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.
Cerebral palsy affects all people differently. It can be mild having a minimal impact on a child's ability function, or it can be extremely severe and result in impairments throughout the body. Some of the symptoms include the appearance of a floppy (floppy neck) head and stiff or uncontrolled muscles as well as difficulty walking or having difficulty with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, it's referred to as hemiplegia. On both sides, it's diplegia. A severe CP could cause locked in (spastic) condition, which is characterized by muscle spasticity. This could limit the ability of a person to move and can result in difficulty speaking and eating.
Medical mistakes in childbirth are a frequent reason for CP. Nurses, midwives, and doctors should be extra cautious when delivering babies as damage to the brain can cause serious harm. A physician could be held accountable for negligence if a medical error results in cerebral palsy, or brain damage caused by oxygen deficiency. This includes negligence when scheduling or performing a C-section in a hurry or failing to supervise and escalate the complexity of labor.
Symptoms
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, he or is likely to experience an array of physical symptoms. The symptoms can include stiff or tight muscles and a limp, involuntary movement, and issues with posture and balance. Other problems include intellectual disabilities, speech delays and hearing and vision problems.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to an immature brain. This occurs most often during the infancy years of childhood. A delay in achieving 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 difficulty swallowing and may require a feeding tube.
Many factors can contribute to the brain injury that causes CP. This includes infections such as toxoplasmosis or rubella in the womb; high blood pressure during pregnancy and genetic predisposition. A severe lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) during labor or delivery is the main cause of CP as is bleeding in the brain caused by damaged or blocked blood vessels.
Depending on the form of cerebral palsy, symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Spastic cerebral palsy (characterized by stiff muscles) is the most commonly encountered type. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid or choreoathetoid) is characterized by slow, uncontrolled flailing movements of the arms, legs and body. Other types of CP include ataxic cerebral palsy (which is characterized by a shaky motion) or paraplegic CP which affects the legs and arms are affected.
Treatment
While the symptoms specific to cerebral palsy vary, most sufferers of the condition have to cope with stiffness and loss of muscle control. They may also have issues with coordination and balance. The type of movement problem that they experience is based on the area of the brain that was injured and the degree of the injury.
Many people suffering from CP require specialized physical therapy that helps them improve their muscle tone and mobility and stretch and strengthen their joints and muscles. It can also ease the pain and help prevent contractures. Exercises, braces or other treatments may be included.
Musculoskeletal disorders like patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are prevalent in CP. These can cause significant issues in mobility, which reduces life expectancy.
Speech and language therapy can be used to help children who are unable to communicate effectively. This may help them discover new ways of communicating and could involve signing language, communication boards, or voice synthesizers.
These medicines can be used to decrease the abnormal movement, reduce the pain, and manage seizures. These drugs can be taken by mouth or directly into the affected muscles or into the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord.
Compensation
A successful cerebral palsy claim could result in compensation for your child's for specialized care, equipment and treatment. This will be determined by the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has caused on them, as well as the costs and losses you've had to pay. This could include the loss of earnings due to having to leave work in order to take care of your child, home modifications and transport costs to get your child to and from appointments.
Your lawyer might hire an expert in disability care dependent on the severity of the injuries to your child. The specialist will create an "life care plan" which outlines the needs of your child from the moment they are diagnosed until they are adults. This can help calculate the most accurate compensation amount. It is typically in 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 should know that compensation for a successful legal matter is not a quick cash payout. It's a recognition of wrongdoing that occurred because a medical professional did not meet their duty of care in labour, pregnancy and birth.
