About Cerebral Palsy and How a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer can help
50Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by brain injury, before or during birth. Many times this injury is due to medical negligence in attending to fetal distress. In such cases of medical malpractice, a cerebral palsy lawyer can help you get compensation for the damage that has been caused to your child.
More about Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy most commonly occurs due to a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth. Lack of oxygen affects the brain’s motor centers. This causes muscle tightness, impaired hearing, speaking and vision, posture difficulties that lead to bladder and bowel problems, tremors and impaired motor skills.
There are four main types of Cerebral Palsy.
* Spastic cerebral palsy – This is the most common form where the muscles are constantly stiff and contracted. There is also an increase in involuntary reflexes.
* Athethoid cerebral palsy – In this form of cerebral palsy, muscular movements are slow and uncontrolled. Abnormal arm or leg gestures and grimacing are common and increase under stressful situations.
* Ataxic cerebral palsy – This is very rare and is characterised by bad balance and depth perceptions. Coordination is poor and people with ataxic cerebral palsy have a problem with quick movements.
* Mixed cerebral palsy – This is a combination of spastic and athetoid cerebral palsy.
There are certain signs that indicate a higher risk of a baby being born with cerebral palsy. Some of these indicators are:
* Breech birth and a long, complicated labor
* Respiratory or vascular problems
* A low Apgar score – this is a scale that reflects a baby’s condition by checking vital signs like heart rate, muscle tone, breathing and skin color and reflexes immediately after birth
* Premature birth and low birth weight.
As of now there is no cure for cerebral palsy. Therapeutic treatment methods are continually being researched and improved upon to benefit children suffering from this condition.
A Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help You Get Compensation
A birth injury like cerebral palsy can entail many short- and long-term expenses. Emergency surgery, long term treatment and medication are just a few of the costs that you will have to bear. Since children with this condition will never be able to care for them, providing those with the highest quality of life possible will use up all your resources. Apart from all this, as a family, you will also go through enormous physical and emotional trauma. You deserve compensation for the act of negligence that is responsible for this. A cerebral palsy lawyer will help to inform you of your legal rights and will build a strong case for you.
The experienced cerebral palsy lawyers chosen by you will tell you if the birth injury could have been prevented and whether you have a valid case for claim of compensation. All initial consultations of most of the reputed firms are free of cost.
