Jacksonville Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy is costly, emotionally draining, and it often requires lifetime care.

Although cerebral palsy can occur naturally, in some cases it is caused by sheer medical negligence or mistake. If a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other medical professional caused your child to develop this condition, you can file for a cerebral palsy lawsuit and demand compensation for the child and the family. The Abbott Law Group medical malpractice attorneys offer a free consultation for parents of children born with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder of movement caused by brain injury or malfunction that occurs before, during and immediately after childbirth. Cerebral Palsy causes impaired movement associated with abnormal reflexes, abnormal posture, involuntary movements, unsteady walking, floppiness of the limbs and trunk, or some combination of these.

Taking care of a child suffering from cerebral palsy is not easy. In addition to emotional and psychological trauma that you will be going through as a parent, the financial burden is huge. Your baby will need special doctor’s attention, additional tests, therapy appointments, medications and meeting with specialist all of which are very expensive. If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy as a result of medical malpractice, it is important to consult a lawyer who has specialized in cases involving cerebral palsy to know the financial support that you may be entitled to in order to support your child’s medical needs. The lawyer will also help you to hold the negligent party liable for the harm they caused to your child.

How Medical Malpractice Leads to Cerebral Palsy

Some common reasons that babies develop cerebral palsy are:

• Birth asphyxia – lack of oxygen during labor and delivery
• Failure to monitor the fetal heart during labor and childbirth
• Failure to identify and treat infections in the mother during her pregnancy
• Improper use of birth equipment
• Delaying cesarean section procedure

Cerebral Palsy Disorder Symptoms

Symptoms vary greatly and problems associated with cerebral palsy may include:

• Seizures
• Stiff muscles (spasticity)
• Variations in muscle tone
• Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
• Tremors or involuntary movements
• Slow, writhing movements (athetosis)
• Difficulty controlling individual muscles
• Delays in speech development
• Muscle weakness
• Difficulty with vision and hearing

Types of Cerebral Palsy (CP)

• Spastic Cerebral Palsy
  Spastic cerebral palsy or bilateral spasticity is the most common form of the disorder, affecting around 70% to 80% of people. It’s caused by brain damage and affects muscle control movement, mainly in the arms and legs.
• Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
  People with dyskinetic motor patterns have slow and uncontrollable writhing or jerky movements of the legs, arms, or hands.
• Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
  Ataxia affects balance and depth perception. Children with ataxia have poor coordination and walk unsteadily.

How common is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children. Studies estimate that two to three children out of every 1,000 have Cerebral Palsy.

• 764,000 children and adults have Cerebral Palsy
• Medical costs for children with cerebral palsy alone are 10 times higher than for children without cerebral palsy
• About 10,000 babies born each year will develop Cerebral Palsy
• About 1,200 to 1,500 preschool children are diagnosed per year with Cerebral Palsy
• 11.3% of children walk using a hand-held mobility device
• 30.6% have limited or no walking ability
• 42% of the children with Cerebral Palsy had co-occurring epilepsy
• 40% of children with Cerebral Palsy had an intellectual disability

How a Cerebral Palsy Attorney Will Help You

Once you discover that your child is actually suffering from cerebral palsy, there are many things that you will be required to do. Cerebral Palsy Attorney will help manage the entire legal process from the start to the end until your successful recovery in settlement or court. The attorney will make sure that you get a decent settlement that will help you take care of your child’s medical needs. Below are things that a Cerebral Palsy Attorney will do for you.

Review Medical Records

A good case is built from the start. When you consult a cerebral palsy lawyer, the first thing that he/she will do is determine if you have a case. The lawyer will ask you several questions including the type of cerebral palsy that you are dealing with, history of your family dynamics, how this condition has changed your routine and your life in general among many others. The lawyer will then take time and review your child’s medical record and carefully look for signs of malpractice or negligence that resulted in your child’s developing medical condition. Proving negligence is the most crucial part and that is why you need the assistance of an experienced lawyer.

Presenting The Case in Court

If the lawyer is convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the child developed this condition as a result of medical negligence or malpractice, the attorney will work diligently to file for a lawsuit and represent you and your entire family in every step. The main goal of the attorney will be to help your family achieve justice on behalf of your child, help you reach a favorable settlement that will ensure that your child’s medical needs are well taken care of, hold the negligent party liable and ensure that the same act does not occur again with the same medical provider as well as give hope to many families out there who are struggling to raise kids with cerebral palsy caused by medical negligence. Hiring a good Cerebral Palsy Attorney will greatly increase your chance of winning a cerebral palsy lawsuit and get decent compensation that will enable you to take care of your child’s medical needs.

References

Cerebral Palsy Statistics by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mayo Clinic Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy Group
Cerebral Palsy Foundation