Common Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a condition that sometimes happens when:
- A delivery is complicated, difficult, or delayed.
- A mother has had two or more children.
- There are nervous system abnormalities.
- A breech birth is not handled with care.
- The baby does not receive enough oxygen.
- A mother and/or baby has an infection that affects the baby’s brain development.
- Seizures, meningitis, viral encephalitis, or infections are not properly diagnosed and treated.
- Forceps or vacuums are used improperly or excessively.
- A baby is born prematurely.
- Blood disease and severe jaundice may also cause cerebral palsy, as can side effects from certain medications.
Do I Have Grounds for a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit If My Child has Cerebral Palsy?
Our birth trauma lawyers at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. can determine whether you have grounds to file a cerebral palsy lawsuit depends on when and how your child developed cerebral palsy. If your child failed to develop properly while in the womb due to a dangerous drug, you may be able to file suit against the pharmaceutical company or the doctor who prescribed the medicine. Similarly, you may have a lawsuit if your child developed cerebral palsy because a healthcare provider failed to meet the acceptable standard of care before, during, or immediately following the birth of your child. Naturally occurring developmental problems are not grounds for a lawsuit.
What Can Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. Do to Help My Family?
Our cerebral palsy law firm provides compassionate assistance and comprehensive legal advice to parents dealing with the effects of cerebral palsy. Our attorneys help you:
- Anticipate and recover the costs associated with expected future medical care.
- Recover damages for pain and suffering.
- Recover lost wages and past medical expenses.
Let Our Malpractice Lawyers and Medical Investigators at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. Help You
Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A.’s birth injury lawyers focus on injuries sustained as a result of medical malpractice. Our firm has been handling medical malpractice cases since our founding in 1984, and we have a thorough understanding of how to build strong cases to help plaintiffs pursue the maximum compensation possible for these kinds of cases. We have filed more medical negligence cases than any other law firm in Maryland and have won more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts.
Contact us online or call us today at 410-234-1000 to speak with one of our attorneys about your case. You pay nothing unless we make a recovery on your behalf.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Recognizing the signs of cerebral palsy is the first step to finding help and deciding to pursue a malpractice lawsuit. Cerebral palsy is often diagnosed when a child is still a baby or a toddler because parents notice that something is wrong when they don’t reach typical developmental milestones or exhibit unusual behavior.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
- Difficulty lifting the head
- Crossed or “scissored” leg muscles upon being picked up
- A dependency on one hand while keeping the other tightly clutched
- An inability to sit up
- An inability to crawl
- An inability to stand without being supported
- An inability to walk
- Poor coordination
- Stiff or tight muscles
- Spasms
- Seizures
- Lack of muscle control and movement
- Visual and hearing problems
- Walking on toes
- Dragging one leg when walking
- Crouched gaits
- Poor muscle tone
- Abnormal posture
- Learning disorders
- A persistence of primitive reflexes
- Shaking or uncontrollable jerks
- Weakened facial muscles
Diagnosis
If your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms of cerebral palsy, a doctor can run a CT, MRI, and EEG brain-imaging tests to reveal brain abnormalities that may lead to a diagnosis. Reflex tests can check if the baby responds to changes in the way their body is positioned, hand-preference tests may indicate an early dependency on one hand over the other due to strength issues, and vision or hearing tests can be signs of sensory limitations.
Treatment
There is no cure for cerebral palsy at this point in time. That said, there are many different ways to help your child overcome or cope with some of the limitations cerebral palsy has on his or her life. The effects of cerebral palsy can be minimized through:
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Medication
- Specialized care
- Surgery
- Adaptive equipment
In instances where a child is unable to walk without assistance, crutches, walkers, or a wheelchair may help them become more independent. Group therapy sessions with other children affected by cerebral palsy are available in many locations and may be beneficial to the development of social skills.
Resources
While each cerebral palsy attorney at our firm is here to support your family through the entirety of your cerebral palsy lawsuit, we know dealing with the effects of this condition is a long-term commitment. We’ve compiled some resources that may be of use to you now and in the years to come.
Complete our free case review form to learn more about how our cerebral palsy law firm may be able to help with your cerebral palsy claim.
