When injuries cause cerebral palsy in the womb or during childbirth, the condition may not be diagnosed until symptoms begin to show during the first few month or years of a baby’s life.
If your infant has received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, you may want to examine the care you received during pregnancy or delivery for medical malpractice. Unfortunately, doctor negligence during childbirth can cause cerebral palsy in instances where it should have been preventable.
If these types of preventable injuries occurred to your child, your family may be able to recover compensation in a medical malpractice lawsuit for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. These damages can be significant, especially if your child suffers from any one of several illnesses that commonly co-occur with cerebral palsy such as learning disabilities, problems with eating, difficulty breathing, and issues with vision.
A Garland cerebral palsy lawyer from the Birth Injury Lawyers Group may be able to represent you. This would allow us to investigate your case, gather evidence, and pursue compensation for you while you spend your time and energy on your child’s wellbeing.
For a free consultation on your case with a member of our team, call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today at (800) 222-9529. We may be able to represent you on a contingency-fee basis.
For a free legal consultation with Garland Cerebral Palsy lawyer, call 1-800-222-9529
Understanding Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a blanket term for disorders involving movement and posture that result from damage, injury, or the abnormal development of the parts of the brain responsible for voluntary movement. It is a common illness and has no known cure.
Cerebral palsy usually manifests as stiff muscles (a condition called spasticity), uncontrollable movements (which is called dyskinesia), or poor balance and coordination (which is known as ataxia).
Different people are affected by cerebral palsy in different ways. If someone suffers a mild case, he or she may be able to sit or walk without much assistance. Severe cases, however, may incapacitate the patient, and he or she may require lifelong care and supervision.
Cerebral palsy can make it difficult to swallow. Children with this symptom may experience malnutrition, low bone density, and a higher risk for bone fractures later in life. Vision problems, headaches, and excessive drooling are other symptoms of cerebral palsy.
If your child missed key growth or developmental milestones, if he or she was delivered in an emergency or complicated birth, or if you simply fear that he or she may have some form of cerebral palsy, bring your child to a doctor for a cerebral palsy screening. Your doctor may begin a series of tests and an observation period to determine whether or not your child is showing symptoms of this condition.
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Treatments and Care for Children With Cerebral Palsy
There is no cure for cerebral palsy. Modern techniques focus on helping the patient overcome the symptoms and disabilities that their cerebral palsy causes.
Treating cerebral palsy usually involves a multidisciplinary team of health and education professionals who can help your child come to terms with and hopefully overcome the disabilities he or she faces.
Your child’s recovery and rehabilitation programs may be designed by physiotherapists, surgeons, pediatric specialists, neurologists, orthopedic specialists, speech and learning experts, and social works and education specialists who, together, can provide your child with the care he or she needs.
In terms of physical treatments that may be administered, these include surgery, medications to control shaking or to relax stiff muscles, speech therapy, the use of wheelchairs or braces, and regular exercise to build strength and improve flexibility.
These treatments can be expensive, and you should not have to pay for them yourself if your child’s birth injury and the resultant cerebral palsy was caused by doctor negligence, inexperience, or inattention.
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How Medical Malpractice Can Cause Cerebral Palsy
There are many ways a child can develop cerebral palsy. Some of them are natural and unpreventable, such as cases that occur because of genetic mutations or premature births.
Other times, a negligent doctor’s actions—or lack of actions—could cause an infant to develop cerebral palsy when a safer action could have prevented it. These instances may qualify as medical malpractice.
A doctor’s negligence can cause cerebral palsy if they:
- Do not check for, detect, and treat an infection in the pregnant mother
- Miss signs of a complicated birth, which could have supported the decision to undergo a safer C-section delivery
- Allow the umbilical cord to cut off the baby’s oxygen supply during delivery
- Apply excessive force to the baby during delivery
- Improperly use birth assistance tools such as forceps or a vacuum extraction device
If you believe that a doctor’s negligence caused or contributed to your child’s cerebral palsy, the Birth Injury Lawyers Group may be able to help you. A Garland cerebral palsy lawyer from our firm may be able to investigate your case and produce evidence of medical malpractice.
To speak with a member of our team in a free consultation, call us today at (800) 222-9529.
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The Statute of Limitations on Your Case
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 74.251 imposes a general two-year statute of limitations, or legal time limit, on most medical malpractice lawsuits. When the victim is a child under the age of 12, they may have until their 14th birthday or a 10-year time limit to file a lawsuit, whichever comes first.
The Birth Injury Lawyers Group can discuss how this law applies to your case when you call us for a free consultation.
A Garland Cerebral Palsy Lawyer From Our Firm May Be Able to Help You
The Birth Injury Lawyers Group represents Garland families in cerebral palsy medical malpractice cases. A Garland cerebral palsy lawyer from our firm may be able to help you seek compensation if doctor negligence was involved in your child’s case.
From collecting the evidence needed to support your case to negotiating a settlement with the at-fault parties responsible for your child’s injuries, we can help you every step of the way until your case is decided. We are prepared to represent you on trial, if necessary.
Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 for a free case evaluation. Because we work on a contingency-fee basis, we only collect lawyer fees if and when you win.
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