Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive illness that develops due to injury or abnormal development of the motor centers of the brain. In children, this type of brain damage and injury often occurs during pregnancy or during or immediately after birth. These are the times during which the baby’s brain is still developing, and physical damage, infections, oxygen deprivation, gene mutations, and issues with the placenta can all cause physical deformities in the brain, leading to cerebral palsy.
Depending on the extent and location of the injuries sustained, a patient may have difficulty eating or may be unable to walk, talk, or perform certain movements. Over the long term, the patient may suffer malnutrition, social isolation, frequent bone breaks, bent or deformed limbs, impaired mental development, issues with sight and sound, and limited independence. A Texas cerebral palsy lawyer can help you navigate the complex landscape of medical care and treatment.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Damage to the brain, whether physical, chemical, or genetic, can cause cerebral palsy. More specifically, damage to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for voluntary actions, can lead to many symptoms that are commonly defined as cerebral palsy. When the brain, especially the young developing brain of an infant or child sustains this type of damage, the result is almost always a permanent injury that the patient will have to live with for the rest of their lives.
How physical, chemical, or genetic factors cause cerebral palsy can be illustrated as follows:
- A doctor may apply too much force on a baby’s brain during delivery, damaging the outer layers of the brain.
- A petite mother may not dilate enough for her baby to pass into the world.
- A large baby can become stuck against the mother’s pelvis, requiring force to be dislodged, and this force can lead to a brain injury.
- A member of the delivery team may administer a dangerous amount of medications, such as over-administering labor-inducing drugs.
- Maternal diabetes, alcohol consumption, or the inadvertent consumption of toxins from the likes of undercooked meat or mercury from fish can lead to fetal injuries.
- Premature babies may not have enough time in the womb for the brain to develop healthily.
- The medical team may not test for infections that can cause brain damage or they may misinterpret test results.
- A failure to screen the mother for birth complications can lead to an emergency delivery in which the baby is at a heightened risk of sustaining an injury.
- Low birth weight and multiple babies in the same pregnancy can all lead to various forms of injury or abnormal development of the fetus before delivery.
As is clear from these examples, there are many different ways that brain injuries can occur. Some of them, such as genetic mutations, are completely out of the hand of your doctor, but others, such as those that require some level of competence, skill, or professionalism on the part of the care team can be classified as preventable issues. Any injuries that arise from preventable issues are deemed preventable themselves and the at-fault parties responsible for those injuries may be guilty of malpractice.
Treatments for cerebral palsy tend to focus on helping the patient overcome the disabilities they have. In the past, cerebral palsy treatment tended to be focused on addressing the actual physical sources of the symptoms exhibited by the patient. Discuss your case with a our cerebral palsy lawyer.
"If your child was born with a birth injury, or cerebral palsy, we can help."
Receiving a Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis
Perhaps the most important question of all when a family receives a diagnosis of cerebral palsy for their newborn is how the condition developed and what caused it. To ascertain how, when, why, and to what extent your child was injured, you may require the services of a radiologist, a neurologist, an orthopedic specialist, and other medical experts to review your child’s cerebral palsy case and the circumstances surrounding his or her delivery. This is an important first step that must be taken before initiating treatment.
Next, lab and physical tests may be required, such as CT scans, an MRI, reflex and nerve conductivity tests, strength and muscle tone assessments, and measures of mental and physical development from month to month. Based on these findings, a comprehensive rehabilitation program that may involve therapy, medication, specialist counseling, or surgery can be developed.
Laredo Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Near Me (800) 222-9529
Get the Legal Support You Need From a Cerebral Palsy Attorney
After diagnosis and once treatments are initiated, you must track your child’s progress. You must also seek answers to how and why your child sustained life-altering injuries in the first place. Your child may require regular checkups, clinical tests, medications, and surgical procedures, all of which can be very expensive. You should not have to suffer the financial, physical, or emotional costs of your child’s cerebral palsy if it was caused by the negligence of your doctor or delivery team.
This is where a cerebral palsy attorney can help. We will work to determine the cause of your child’s illness so that you can finally have some peace of mind, and we can connect you with health care providers in your area who have expertise in handling your child’s specific type of injuries. We will also help you work with school administration personnel, insurance agents, education support programs, and government organizations that can help you get–and pay for–the cerebral palsy treatment that your child needs.
"We know first-hand what you are going through."
Contact a Laredo Cerebral Palsy Lawyer to Learn More Today
Contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today at (800) 222-9529. A cerebral palsy attorney will help you:
- Determine the source and extent of your child’s injuries.
- Identify the at-fault parties, if any, responsible.
- Quantify your damages and the costs that you’ve suffered.
- Understand which treatment options may apply to your child’s case.
- Negotiate with the at-fault parties and handle insurance agents on your behalf.
Birth injury malpractice and healthcare litigation can be very difficult to understand, as can the legal statutes that apply to such cases. Contact us for a free, personalized evaluation of your birth injury case and for guidance on the next steps you should take.
"We are committed to helping families who have suffered medical negligence."