Find Out What Your Case Is Worth
Cerebral Palsy Lawyers
Cerebral Palsy
The attorneys from Action Legal Group work to help families that have been impacted by a devastating cerebral palsy (CP) diagnosis. CP is a medical disorder that is caused by damage that occurs to a brain that is developing, most often before a child is born. The disorder can impact:
In general, children with CP will exhibit:
CP signs and symptoms will first manifest when a child is an infant or in the years immediately leading up to elementary school. The medical symptomsthat are expected in children who have been diagnosed with the condition include problems swallowing and an eye muscle imbalance, in which both eyes fail to focus on the same object. In families in which a child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it will quickly become evident that the child suffers from a minimized range of motion throughout various joints due to muscle stiffness.
The cerebral palsy personal Injury professionals from Action Legal Group have found that the functional abilities of diagnosed children vary greatly. There are children with CP who will be able to walk while others will never walk. Some children will exhibit normal or close to normal intellectual capacity, but others will not display the same intellectual capacity. Things become all the more distressing when a diagnosis of CP is matched with a secondary condition like epilepsy, blindness or deafness.
The Risk Factors That Lead To CP
Through diligent research for court cases, the Chicagoand Florida personal injury attorneys from Action Legal Group know that cerebral palsy is triggered by an abnormality in brain development or a disruption in brain development. There are cases in which a trigger is not easily identifiable but factors that can cause problems with brain development include:
Who Takes The Blame When My Child Has Cerebral Palsy
The rush to blame yourself is inevitable when there is a diagnosis of CP. The attorneys in our office have counseled parents who will trouble themselves over precautions that could have been taken with personal health, but it is vital to recognize that you are not to blame for the diagnosis. Cerebral palsy is essentially a brain injury. CP is a brain injury that happens right before a child is born or immediately after the birth, and is attributed to:
The important thing to keep in mind is that cerebral palsy is an injury, it is not a disease, the symptoms in a child are the responses the body makes to an injury. Though it may feel like a mother or father is at fault, neither she or he is to blame, and the cause of CP will never be identified in many cases but it is certain that medical malpractice is to blame in a portion of the 10,000 cases of cerebral palsy that will be diagnosed this year.
Tell Me If My Child’s Cerebral Palsy Could Have Been Prevented
The cause of CP will not always be identifiable but the legal professionals from Action Legal Group have noted that in close to 10% of cases, it is the result of a medical complication during labor and delivery. This means that thousands of parents each year face a life with a child that is irrevocably altered if a medical professional failed to closely monitor the condition of your child at birth.
I Am Worried My Child Has Cerebral Palsy
For parents who are concerned that their child is not progressing as should be expected and that their child may have cerebral palsy, developmental delays are one of the first signs of something more sinister. CPcan impact how well a child can control his or her own muscles and the condition can be caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the brain at the time of birth due to disruption of blood and oxygen supply to the brain.
The progress of each child should and does occur at a different pace. There are delays in early childhood development that will correct on their own as a child gets older, but failing to hit certain milestones may be indicative of a neurologicalor movement disorder. It is a good idea for a parent to seek the help of a doctor or specialist who can monitor the child’s development and form a diagnosis, should one be needed, when it is suspected there is a delay:
The distinguishing signs of CP in children can include:
Birth injury due to medical negligence can result in devastating and painful injuries for the child, and leave parents facing enormous medical bills for the wide-ranging care and therapies the child will need. In some cases, the injuries suffered will require out-of-home, round the clock care, on either a temporary or permanent basis, and the costs for this type of care is staggering. Not only are parents left heartbroken for their child, they now must face an uncertain financial future, wondering how they will care for their child now and in the years to come.
Involving a trained professional who can chart the developmental progress of a child is particularly important when it is suspected that the negligence of a medical professional caused cerebral palsy. The early involvement of a medical professional who can help chart the development of the child is vital because the CDC has estimated that the lifetime cost to care for one person with CP will be nearly $1 million.
The developmental progress of children is broken down into four main stages:
There is inevitably one or two children who will experience delays in growth, while others are not prepared to talk with other people or connect emotionally outside of the immediate family. Each child is different, but knowing what is expected development will let parents recognize when a suspected issue may be something like CP.
The Cerebral Palsy Attorneys From Action Legal Group Can Help
If you suspect that your child was born with CP, the reality is that it may be due to an error made by a medical professional. Expenses that you did not expect are piling up for:
It is important that you understand that you may be entitled to financial support to aid in the care of your son or daughter. By making the choice to consult with a personal injury attorney who handles cases involving a diagnosis of medical malpractice and CP, you can make sure your child receives care and compensation for:
No matter how severe the case of CP is, when it is initially diagnosed, it is always a good idea to meet with an attorney and a team of professionals who understand the condition well. Together, we can draft a plan that will ensure your child will be cared for during his or her entire life.
Parties can and should be held responsible for the medical negligence that led to the injury and Action Legal Group can help you accomplish this.