If you believe that medical negligence caused your child’s cerebral palsy (CP), speak with a cerebral palsy attorney in Washington, D.C., to prove it. The compensation you may be owed could help you provide a better future for your child.
The Birth Injury Lawyers Group connects families with attorneys who can help them sue negligent medical providers. During our practice, we have recovered more than $750 million for clients. Our Washington, D.C. birth injury lawyers will compassionately listen to your story and review your legal options. Call us today to schedule a free case review.
Our Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Fight for Justice on Behalf of Injured Children and Their Families
By handling only birth injury cases, our law group is uniquely positioned to offer unparalleled support to families of birth injury victims. Our District of Columbia cerebral palsy attorneys stay up to date on the latest medical advancements, legal precedents, and emerging trends so we can advocate effectively for our clients.
Opting for our law group means placing your case in the hands of committed professionals who understand the unique nuances of each cerebral palsy lawsuit. We serve families in need in the District of Columbia; find your legal representative today.
"If your child was born with a birth injury, or cerebral palsy, we can help."
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy impacts about one out of every 345 children in the United States. It’s a group of disorders that affect muscle control. In fact, CP is the most common motor disability in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Almost all cases of infant cerebral palsy are caused by abnormal brain development or brain trauma. It can happen before or during birth. Head trauma, infections, too little oxygen, and brain hemorrhage can cause cerebral palsy.
Doctors must watch for signs that your baby is in distress before and during birth to intervene as soon as there is a problem. However, sometimes, negligent medical professionals miss the signs, which leads to birth injuries.
District of Columbia Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Near Me 1-800-222-9529
Available Compensation for Birth Injury Victims With Cerebral Palsy
Caring for a child with cerebral palsy often involves ongoing medical treatments, therapy sessions, and specialized support. By identifying the at-fault party in a cerebral palsy case, you may be eligible to recover past and future expenses.
The following damages may be available for your cerebral palsy case:
- Your child’s medical care, including medications, surgery, rehabilitation, and specialist visits
- Any lost wages because you took time off to care for your child
- Pain and suffering for you and your child
Lawyers from our team will carefully calculate economic and non-economic damages to make sure that you are fairly compensated. We may collaborate with financial experts to calculate the long-term impact of cerebral palsy on the child and your family.
"We know first-hand what you are going through."
Common Causes of Cerebral Palsy
In some cases, cerebral palsy is a congenital condition, meaning it occurs before or during birth due to factors such as genetic issues, infections, or complications during labor. On the other hand, CP can also be caused by medical malpractice, particularly if there are instances of oxygen deprivation during childbirth or errors in the delivery process.
Common types of medical errors that can lead to cerebral palsy include:
- Delayed or improper diagnosis during pregnancy
- Failure to monitor fetal distress during labor
- Mismanagement of complications during delivery
- Oxygen deprivation during childbirth
- Improper use of delivery-assisting tools
- Delayed or improper emergency response
- Medication errors during pregnancy or labor
- Surgical errors during cesarean sections
- Failure to address maternal infections promptly
- Inadequate neonatal care after birth
Medical negligence, also known as medical malpractice, occurs when a healthcare professional fails to provide a standard level of care, resulting in harm to the patient. A doctor’s duty of care is a fundamental principle that guides their responsibilities toward the health and safety of both the expectant mother and the newborn.
"Our Birth Injury Lawyers have recovered over $750+ Million on behalf of our clients."
Who Is Liable for Your Newborn’s Cerebral Palsy?
Many different parties could be responsible for causing your newborn’s CP. However, identifying the at-fault party can be difficult without professional legal help. Once we determine whose negligence caused the birth injury, we can plan a legal strategy accordingly.
Any of the following parties could be at fault in a cerebral palsy case:
- Obstetrician
- Gynecologist
- Neonatologist
- Nurses
- Hospital staff
- Anesthesiologist
- Healthcare facility
- Pharmaceutical company
- Medical device manufacturer
If you suspect negligence contributed to your child’s CP, collaborate with our cerebral palsy attorneys to investigate the details. We may work with medical experts to assess the quality of care provided during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Through a thorough evaluation of medical records and expert opinions, we can pinpoint the party responsible.
The Four Key Elements of Proving Negligence in a Birth Injury Case
To know if you have a claim, your lawyer will need to see if your case meets four standards. These are key legal points for proving that the defendant hurt your baby. With slight variations, these standards apply to all personal injury cases.
Duty of Care
The first element is establishing a duty of care. There must be a medical relationship between your child and the defendant. Your child’s medical records will show who was responsible for their care. You could sue both the responsible person and, under certain conditions, their employer. Other parties may also share a duty of care toward your child.
Breach of Duty
Medical staff must follow standards of care for their area of responsibility. However, even the best doctors can’t heal or save every patient in their care despite their best efforts. Standards of care set the guidelines for what a reasonable response is for different medical situations.
You must prove that whoever had a duty of care acted negligently and broke those standards. Our cerebral palsy lawyers in Washington, D.C., have access to medical experts who know the standards and can explain why the defendant’s actions were negligent. They can prove if hospital staff or midwife negligence caused the birth injury.
Causation
For a valid claim, there must be a link between the negligent act and your child’s cerebral palsy. We have to explain how the negligent act caused your child’s injuries. For example, we can explain how a pinched umbilical cord led to brain damage that caused a child’s cerebral palsy.
Damages
Finally, we have to prove how the injury legally damaged you and your child. In a cerebral palsy case, that is easy to do. However, calculating the full value of your child’s care and the non-economic damages that come along with a complex condition like cerebral palsy is difficult.
Working with a birth injury lawyer with experience in cerebral palsy cases can help maximize your claim. You may be owed much more than you think.
How Expensive Is Cerebral Palsy Treatment?
The costs related to caring for a child with cerebral palsy can easily reach over $1 million per person. Besides motor problems, many children with CP also have cognitive disabilities, problems with hearing and vision, and seizure conditions. Long-term medical care is almost certain.
Paying for this care is far outside the reach of most families. Still, one of our qualified District of Columbia cerebral palsy lawyers can fight on your behalf to get compensation to pay for your child’s care, both the bills you’re facing now and ongoing care in the future. The total long-term costs of caring for a child with cerebral palsy can easily reach a million dollars.
You should not be stuck paying for injuries caused by actions that should have been prevented. We will help you hold the at-fault party responsible for your child’s care and stand up to insurers who want to give you less than your child deserves.
What Steps Should I Take After Learning My Child Has Cerebral Palsy?
The first step in any potential medical malpractice case is to get a diagnosis as soon as you notice your child has a problem. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, follow the care instructions of your doctor. Seek another doctor’s advice if the doctor you’re suing is the one who diagnosed your child.
Malpractice insurers will try their best to discredit your claim and could go so far as saying you did something wrong to harm your child. Therefore, getting a diagnosis and following another doctor’s advice is important to preserve your claim for compensation.
Your next step is to contact a cerebral palsy lawyer in the District of Columbia for legal advice and follow their instructions. The Birth Injury Lawyers Group can connect you with a qualified lawyer who will help you get answers and see if your case qualifies as malpractice.
Call an Experienced Cerebral Palsy Attorney in the District of Columbia
Cerebral palsy creates lifelong challenges for children. It can be an expensive and painful condition. Sometimes, a doctor’s negligence causes CP in a newborn. Then, you need a District of Columbia cerebral palsy attorney on your side. You could be owed hundreds of thousands of dollars and perhaps even millions. That money can help your child get the care they need.
To see if your case qualifies for a lawsuit, contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group for a free consultation. All of our lawyers work on contingency, and your consultation is without obligation.
Get the answers you need about why your child was injured and get the compensation you deserve for what your doctors did. Contact us today.
"We are committed to helping families who have suffered medical negligence."