There is no childhood motor disorder with a higher incidence rate than cerebral palsy. It affects almost 20 million people worldwide and close to one million in the United States. According to recent estimates, every hour a child is born with cerebral palsy. There is no cure for the condition and it can lead to issues with posture, limited motor control of the limbs, issues walking, seizures, hampered intellectual development, undernutrition, and more.
Most cerebral palsy cases develop before a baby is born, but preventable factors are sometimes involved. Few health issues are as serious and have as wide a range of health effects as cerebral palsy, so if your child or that of a loved one was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, please call us. Our Columbus Cerebral Palsy Lawyers can be reached at (800) 222-9529 and we can help you handle your child’s case.
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Causes and Risk Factors
The underlying cause of cerebral palsy is unknown. We know that the condition always involves some form of neuromuscular disability and that the brain’s gray matter is involved. The motor control centers of the brain – the parts of the brain that control voluntary movement – are located in the cerebrum. This is in the gray area of the brain, as is the cerebral cortex. “Cerebral” means of the brain, and “palsy” refers to weakness or paralysis of some sort. Cerebral palsy has many effects but it gets its name from the motor issues it causes.
There are many ways cerebral palsy can develop, including all of the following:
- Brain damage: Damage to the brain’s gray matter can disrupt how signals are sent and received from the brain
- Abnormal brain development can also affect signal transmission. It usually occurs during gestation as a result of physical injuries, genetic disorders, toxic substances or chemicals, or infections
- Internal bleeding and stroke are not uncommon in unborn babies, and when it occurs in the brain, severe and irreversible brain damage can result
- Inadequate oxygen supply, low maternal blood pressure, a damaged uterus, a detached placenta, and umbilical cord issues can all cause brain damage in an unborn fetus
- Negligence and doctor errors can also cause brain damage. Misusing delivery devices, misdiagnosing health signals, missing signs of fetal distress, and doctor inexperience can all cause brain damage in an instant
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Symptoms
Before treatments for cerebral palsy can be given to the patient, your child’s doctor must first assess and determine the cause, location, and severity of the brain damage that has caused it. The effects of neurological issues vary from person to person. Even if two people sustain seemingly similar forms of brain damage, the effects can be different for both people. Their responses to treatment can also drastically vary. Since disorders such as cerebral palsy are defined more by their symptoms than by their underlying causes, the symptoms are important.
You must accurately identify, assess, and get a diagnosis of your child’s condition before treating it. Common signs to look out for include:
- Delays in reaching growth or developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, or walking
- An inability to move the arms or fingers in certain ways
- Abnormal or shaky movements
- Stiff, spastic muscles that are very rigid or loose, floppy muscles
- An inability to perform coordinated actions
- Slurred speech, poorly formed words
- Issues sucking, chewing, or swallowing
The effects of cerebral palsy go beyond the physical symptoms that it causes. A child’s health issues can morph with time and can include mental disabilities and issues with vision or hearing as well as seizures and social isolation. A wave of secondary issues may also develop, such as excessive weakness from constant immobilization, bedsores, mouth sores, dental issues, frustration, depression, bone deformities, and the need for round-the-clock care and supervision.
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Why You Need Legal Assistance
Handling civil malpractice cases involving medical negligence requires knowledge about medical law, civil law, insurance law, the statutes of limitations, evidence and proof requirements, and an ability to handle the many parties involved in a malpractice claim. These parties may include your insurer, the insurer of the defendant, representatives of the hospital or care center where your child was born, a doctor or medical team, the representatives or lawyers of your doctor or medical team, and third-party arbiters.
Handling these parties and managing a malpractice case–especially if you have an injured or disabled loved one to care for–can be overwhelming. Most people simply do not have the knowledge, expertise, or time to do it. This is where a legal professional with deep experience handling birth injury and malpractice litigation can help you. We will help you gather evidence, interview the delivery team, and negotiate with the defendants, all at no upfront cost.
All you have to do is follow the process below.
- Investigation: Give us a call so we can evaluate your case. We do this at no cost. If your case warrants a claim, we can initiate an investigation into your child’s injuries.
- Retainer: You can hire us at no cost. We only collect when you win.
- Representation: With a retainer in place, we will formally pursue your claim and investigate what happened, why, and how. We will also work to determine who was at fault for any errors or oversights that should not have happened and will try to obtain evidence for them.
- Compensation: We only receive legal fees if you win, so you have nothing to lose by hiring a legal professional for your case and having us handle your case from beginning to end.
There are statutes of limitations that apply to civil cases of all types, including medical negligence cases. You are required by law to submit a claim within these statutes if you want to pursue damages and compensation from an at-fault party that you hold responsible for harming you. This is not a criminal claim and if you miss your filing deadline, you potentially forfeit your right to compensation. Call now at (800) 222-9529 and let us help you.
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