If your baby or child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after suffering complications at birth, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a cerebral palsy lawsuit or settlement. Contact a cerebral palsy birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
A team of birth injury lawyers and personal injury attorneys is investigating potential cerebral palsy lawsuit cases and settlement claims of families and parents whose children have suffered from cerebral palsy due to birth related medical malpractice or negligence.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect an individual’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture that typically appears in early childhood. The word “cerebral” in cerebral palsy refers to the brain’s cerebrum (the part of the brain that regulates motor function) and the word “palsy” refers to the paralysis of voluntary body movements.
Almost 800,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy. Indeed, cerebral palsy is one of the most common birth injuries. Each year, almost 10,000 babies are born with the cerebral palsy. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that for every 1,000 babies born in the United States, an average of 3.3 will be diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
In many cases, cerebral palsy (CP disease) is preventable with proper care by medical professionals such as obstetricians (OB-GYNs), physicians, support staff, midwives, nurses, clinics and hospitals.
Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Cases
Cerebral palsy lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of families and parents of children who, due to possible medical malpractice or negligence, suffered serious birth injuries or complications, including the following types of cerebral palsy:
- Cerebral palsy
- Spastic cerebral palsy
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (athetoid)
- Ataxic cerebral palsy
- Mixed cerebral palsy
- Other cerebral palsy lawsuit cases
- Other birth injury lawsuit cases
There are three main types of cerebral palsy cases. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of cerebral palsy (comprising about 70-80 percent of all cerebral palsy cases). Dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy and mixed cerebral palsy (which account for the remaining 20-30 percent of all cerebral palsy cases) are less common.
Cerebral Palsy Medical Malpractice Claims
Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage in the parts of the brain that control movement, posture and balance. Cerebral palsy related brain damage can occur before, during, or after birth and can be due to, among other things:
- Lack of oxygen to the brain
- Birth asphyxia or hypoxia
- Meconium aspiration
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
- Breach birth complications
- Periventricular leukomalacia
- Placental abruption
- Bleeding in the brain (hemorrhaging)
- Head injury or head trauma during birth
- Baby being left in birth canal too long
- Prolonged labor
- Fetal macrosomia (large baby)
- Infection
- Fetal distress
- Fetal stroke
- Neonatal seizures
- Respiratory distress syndrome
- Placenta previa
- Preterm or premature birth
- Delayed delivery
- Shoulder dystocia
- Improper use of birthing tools
- Baby’s heart rate dropping during labor
- Uterine rupture
- Failure to perform timely a C-section
- Misuse of forceps
- Misuse of vacuum extractor
- Umbilical cord complications
- Nuchal cord (umbilical cord wrapped around baby’s neck)
- Poor prenatal care
- Jaundice
- Kernicterus
- Low birth weight
- Negligence of healthcare providers
- Medical malpractice
- Other cerebral palsy claims
- Other medical malpractice lawsuit cases
Cerebral Palsy Signs, Symptoms & Complications
Cerebral palsy symptoms, signs and complications (which can vary among individuals and over time) can include, among others:
- Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
- Stiff, tight or spastic muscles (spasticity)
- Abnormal muscle tone (too floppy or too stiff)
- Weakness in arms or legs
- Poor balance (ataxia)
- Abnormal posture
- Poor or jerky reflexes
- Walking on toes
- Walking in crouched position
- Walking with one foot or leg dragging
- Scissored Gait
- Walking with feet spread far apart
- Abnormal drooling
- Difficulty swallowing, sucking or speaking
- Tremors or shaking
- Sudden uncontrolled movements
- Seizures or epilespy
- Difficulty grasping objects
- Trouble bringing hands together
- Dysphagia (oral motor dysfunction)
- Autism
- ADHD
- Developmental disability
- Developmental delay
- Missing developmental milestones
- Motor function impairments or delays
- Difficulty sitting, crawling
- Intellectual or cognitive impairment
- Behavioral problems
- Speech and language disorders (dysarthria)
- Need for mobility aids
- Pain
- Vision impairment
- Slow eye movements
- Hearing problems
- Spinal curvature
- Small jawbone
- Small head
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Lower urinary tract symptoms
- Need for CPR at birth
- NICU admission at birth
Cerebral palsy is a life-long disability (and when severe, it can be associated with a reduced life expectancy). Although treatment is available to alleviate a cerebral palsy infant’s symptoms and/or improve a child’s capabilities, there is no cure for cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is also a very expensive condition. The lifetime cost of cerebral palsy can approach and greatly exceed $1,000,000, with costs for doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital stays, daily care, in-home care, personal care aides, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, specialized transportation, surgery, special needs education, mobility aids (wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, etc.), automobile and home modifications, rehabilitation, lost wages, adaptive shoes or clothing and assistive devices, among others.
Time Is Limited To File A Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit. Connect With a Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury Lawyer.
Deadlines known as statutes of limitation and statutes of repose may limit the amount of time that parents, families and other claimants have to file a cerebral palsy lawsuit case to try to recover compensation for birth injuries such as cerebral palsy.
This means that if a cerebral palsy injury lawsuit claim is not filed before the applicable time limit or deadline, the claimant may be barred from ever taking legal action or pursuing litigation regarding the cerebral palsy injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with a cerebral palsy birth injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If your child has suffered from a birth related injury such as cerebral palsy, you and your child may be entitled to recover compensation from a cerebral palsy lawsuit or settlement. Contact a cerebral palsy birth injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If your child is experiencing health issues or complications, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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