When your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, your family likely had to shift their entire life. The hours spent in physical therapies, the medical bills, and the emotional rollercoaster you have gone through were all a result of a disorder that may have been preventable.
The individuals who caused or contributed to a brain injury in an infant should be held liable for their mistake. One of our Rhode Island birth injury lawyers can help you file a medical malpractice claim, understand your rights, and learn who should be compensating you for your damages.
Who Can I Sue in a Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit?
There could be more than one party responsible for your child’s cerebral palsy. You can sue the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, other medical staff members that were present during your baby’s birth, or even the hospital. If a piece of equipment caused the birth injury, you can always file against those manufacturers as well.
Regardless of who you decide to sue, it’s imperative that you are aware of legal time constraints. Rhode Island statute 9-1-14.1, outlines a deadline of three years from the incident or reasonable discovery to file your medical malpractice claim or else you lose the ability to get compensation.
How Medical Professionals Can Cause Cerebral Palsy
Some conditions that can happen as a result of medical negligence and end up causing cerebral palsy include:
- Brain damage while the baby is in the womb or in the early stages of life
- Traumatic head injury from a car accident or fall
- Infections in the mother or baby
- Stroke
- Blood clotting problems
- Abnormal blood vessels
When a medical professional fails to diagnose or treat these conditions the same way another reasonable professional would have, your child could spend the rest of their life with speech and motor difficulties.
Damages You Can Claim in a Birth Injury Lawsuit
The amount of money your family receives during settlement or as an award depends on your total damages. Your family’s damages can include any of the following:
- Hospital bills
- Pain and suffering
- Estimated future costs of all medical care
- Rehabilitation treatments
- Medications
- Medical equipment
It is important that you hold on to receipts from all out-of-pocket expenses. A cerebral palsy attorney will total up all of your damages and assign a value to it to be used in negotiations.
How Much Will a Cerebral Palsy Attorney Charge?
At Birth Injury Law Group, we do not require any payments upfront. We understand the pressures medical conditions like cerebral palsy can have on your wallets. Instead of paying a sum of money before we start looking into your case, you do not have to pay anything unless we win you compensation.
You can expect the contingency fee to range between 30% and 40% of your settlement or award. Medical malpractice cases have no limitations in the state of Rhode Island.
Get Your Free Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Consultation in Rhode Island
After your free consultation, Birth Injury Lawyer Group in Rhode Island will be your advocate and discuss your options. We will:
- Give you legal advice
- Help file your claim
- Gather evidence
- Hire a medical expert to prove negligence
- Assign a monetary value to your damages for compensation
- Handle all communications on your behalf
We want to help your family get back to their normal and comfortably adjust to the changes this condition has put on their lives.