Cerebral palsy can occur after an injury to an infant’s brain while they are in the womb, during delivery, or after birth. This is not a condition that a doctor can cure. Cerebral palsy will stay with the baby as they age and into adulthood.
If you believe that a doctor’s negligence caused your baby’s cerebral palsy injuries, you may be able to recover damages for the baby’s pain, suffering, and medical bills. You also may be able to receive awards for the family’s emotional trauma.
For a free consultation about your case and what legal options you may have to recover compensation, call the Georgia Cerebral Palsy Lawyers at the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529. If you choose to work with us, our Athens-Clarke cerebral palsy lawyers can represent your family on a contingency fee basis with no up-front costs.
Understanding Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects a baby’s ability to move and maintain proper posture due to muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness.
A child who develops cerebral palsy may have seizures, learning disabilities, and other concurrent conditions.
The severity of the symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary from child to child. Some will only have mild symptoms, such as a slight learning disability or a slight limp. Others will have significant symptoms and may require the use of a mobility assistance device or wheelchair.
"If your child was born with a birth injury, or cerebral palsy, we can help."
Cerebral Palsy Treatments
Unfortunately, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. Most treatment aims to alleviate the child’s pain, increase their mobility and self-sufficiency, and help them live their best possible life.
Accordingly, doctors will design a treatment plan that addresses your child’s symptoms and needs. Some of the treatments your doctor may use for cerebral palsy include:
- Therapy: where therapists will attempt to improve muscle strength and joint flexibility through physical therapy, as well as attempting to improve the ability of the child to communicate through speech therapy.
- Medication: where doctors may administer medications aimed at helping the child’s spasming or stiffened muscles to relax, so they can control them better.
- Equipment: where doctors may prescribe equipment to help the child move more freely, including braces for arms or legs, a walker, or a wheelchair.
- Surgery: where a doctor may attempt to correct deformed muscles, bones, and tendons through surgery.
Your child may require treatments for many years as they grow and adjust to life with cerebral palsy.
Athens-Clarke Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Near Me (800) 222-9529
Damages in a Cerebral Palsy Case
Ultimately, lifelong medical care could be extremely expensive. Years of medical bills may require some families to go into debt.
If a doctor’s negligence caused your child’s cerebral palsy, they may be liable for these costs. Recoverable damages in a cerebral palsy case may include:
- Your child’s costs of treatments, including surgery and medications
- Ongoing costs of specialized care and therapies your child may need
- Lost wages for parents who stop working to care for their child
- Pain and suffering
When you employ the Birth Injury Lawyers Group, we will work tirelessly to defend your right to compensation. An Athens-Clark cerebral palsy lawyer will attempt to prove the facts in the case by studying medical records, gathering evidence, and interviewing witnesses. We may also hire medical experts to testify in your defense.
Contact us at (800) 222-9529 for a free case evaluation.
"We know first-hand what you are going through."
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Sometimes, cerebral palsy is caused by a gene mutation or an illness the baby suffered in the mother’s womb that simply could not have been prevented or predicted. Other times, though, a doctor caring for the mother and baby during pregnancy or after the birth may have caused the injury through negligence.
In a medical malpractice case, negligence does not have to involve a purposeful act. The doctor did not have to intend for the injury to happen for a finding of negligence to be true.
Negligent medical acts that can cause cerebral palsy include:
- Infection to the mother: if a pregnant mother’s infection is not caught and treated properly, it could be transferred to the fetus, causing brain damage.
- Infection to the fetus: if an untreated infection in the fetus creates swelling in the child’s brain or spinal cord, it could lead to cerebral palsy.
- Head injury: if excessive force or the improper use of equipment by a careless nurse or doctor injures the baby.
- Lack of oxygen: if a baby goes without oxygen for too long during a difficult birthing process that could have been avoided if the doctor conducted a proper screening.
If you believe any of these scenarios could have occurred during your pregnancy, or that your care provider behaved negligently in any other way, contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group. We can discuss the specifics of your case and your legal options as part of our free consultation services.
"Our Birth Injury Lawyers have recovered over $750+ Million on behalf of our clients."
Working to Help You Receive a Fair Settlement
An Athens-Clarke cerebral palsy lawyer from the Birth Injury Lawyers Group can defend your family during a medical malpractice case. We can help you figure out if the insurance company is offering you a fair settlement offer and take the case to trial if they are not.
Be advised that the state of Georgia enforces a statute of limitations on medical malpractice cases. If this time limit expires before you take legal action, you may lose the right to sue. When you contact our firm, we can discuss the statute of limitations and any special circumstances in your case that may extend your deadlines to file a lawsuit.
Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 for a free consultation. You will not have to pay any up-front fees for an Athens-Clarke cerebral palsy to take on your case, as we work on a contingency fee basis.
"We are committed to helping families who have suffered medical negligence."