Cerebral palsy is a medical condition that can leave a child with severe disabilities and life-long care. If your child was diagnosed with CP after birth, you may have questions such as:
While some cerebral palsy diagnosis' are unavoidable, medical malpractice and birth injuries can cause children to be diagnosed. By speaking with an experienced birth injury attorney, you can learn more about the legal options surrounding your specific case.
A medical malpractice lawsuit may be an option if your child has a cerebral palsy diagnosis. We know that no monetary amount could ever change the diagnosis of your baby, but a birth injury lawsuit may help recover damages to cover care and rehabilitation for your child as they grow. Our Maryland cerebral palsy attorneys fight for you and your child's needs. This can be from disability payments, government sources, settlements, and in some cases a trial.
Our team also looks to build a trusting attorney client relationship, providing future services such as setting up a trust or drafting other legal documents for child's future care.
Cerebral Palsy occurs when the brain has been damaged at or before birth. Some cases of cerebral palsy aren't caused by medical malpractice at all. Brain damage due to oxygen deprivation during pregnancy may occur at any time during pregnancy.
Cerebral Palsy usually shows up between 18 months and two years of age. It may manifest in developmental delays, or a delay in motor skill development. Early signs may include a delay in rolling over, crawling, smiling, or unusually low muscle tone or stiffness of muscles.
While Cerebral Palsy does not progress as your child ages, there can be serious complications and new condition-related treatments and expenses. These expenses could include:
If your child's Cerebral Palsy diagnosis was due to medical error, you should not have to bear the costs.
Approximately three out of every 1,000 children in the US are born with cerebral palsy. The condition can cause cognitive development issues, lead to physical disabilities and other medical problems. Some examples of medical errors that can cause birth injuries and cerebral palsy include things like:
When the medical professionals fail to provide adequate care during the labor and delivery processes, they can cause brain damage to the baby. It is important for health care providers to be attentive during the prenatal and birthing processes to avoid missing signs of potential fetal distress, hypoxemia, and other birth injuries.
Cerebral Palsy is not curable but it doesn't get worse over time. Often treatments aimed at improving your child's quality of health are designed to increase their strength. Speech therapy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy may be included.
There are different types of cerebral palsy and each type comes with its own symptoms and characteristics.
The most common type of CP is Spastic. About 70-78% of all CP cases diagnosed are Spastic CP. One of the main characteristics seen is stiffness and rigidity in muscles. Those suffering from Spastic CP are unable to relax certain muscles due to scrambled brain signals. This also tends to affect a specific area of the body rather than all muscle groups.
Between 5-10% of cerebral palsy cases are Dyskinetic. This type of cerebral palsy causes involuntary muscle movements. This can exhibit in three distinct forms, Dystonia, Athetoid and Chorea.
Athetoid tends to exhibit itself with slow, often uncontrolled movements, in the affected areas. Speech and mouth movements may also be affected. Dystonia CP is typically repeated twisting motions while Chorea is sudden, fast and jerking muscle spasms or movements. These involuntary body movements can be in a variety of areas and may sometime jump from one muscle group to another.
This is one of the rarest forms of cerebral palsy, fewer than 5% of cases are linked to this type. With Ataxic CP, he brain loses control of functions such as balance, depth perceptiopn and motor skills. If a child suffers from this type of cerebral palsy, they may appear to be shaky, unbalanced and uncoordinated.
Mixed CP is possible, where your child may exhibit characteristics of more than one type. This is most common with spastic and dyskinetic CP, other combinations are possible but rarely seen.
You may have my questions regarding the diagnosis of cerebral palsy for your child and associated lawsuits. Our local Maryland Cerebral palsy lawyers have answered some of the most common questions our team receives. Do not hesitate to call to speak directly with a Maryland cerebral palsy lawyer if you have more questions, our phones are available 24/7 and we offer a free consultation.
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy and you believe malpractice or medical negligence occurred you will most likely need an experienced Maryland cerebral palsy lawyer. An experienced attorney will be able to determine if your child's condition was caused by negligence. By hiring a personal injury lawyer, you can focus on your child's care rather than fighting for compensation alone.
Every state, including Maryland, has it's own statutes of limitations. In Maryland, medical malpractice cases need to be filed within five years from when the negligence occurred, or three years from the time you realized it happened. A medical professional must also certify that your case has merit.
An experienced Maryland cerebral palsy lawyer will be able to guide you in understanding the ins and outs of the laws and what is necessary for a lawsuit. Maryland does cap the compensation amount for non-economic costs, such as pain and suffering, our law firm can help you understand the financial compensation you may receive.
Yes, it is possible to sue a doctor, medical professional or facility for a medical malpractice claim if there was medical negligence. Not all cases of cerebral palsy are caused by medical negligence so the medical professionals must be found to have caused the birth injury due to negligence for a lawsuit.
Compensation that may be recovered in a lawsuit if your child has been diagnosed with CP may include money to cover the following:
Without the help of an experienced lawyer, may birth injury cases are not awarded full values. Non-lawyers often undervalue claims, and going up against a large company and insurance providers can be daunting.
There is no need to attempt to file a medical malpractice claim yourself. As an experienced cerebral palsy law firm, we know what information to collect, paperwork to file and how to proceed after a CP diagnosis. Because there are statutes of limitations around medical negligence, it is important to contact a law firm who has experience in filing birth injury lawsuits.
Our Maryland cerebral palsy lawyers are available 24/7 for a free consultation. Call today to learn more about your potential cerebral palsy lawsuit and the Maryland courts.
Silver Spring, MD
Takoma Park, MD
Adelphi, MD
Hillandale, MD
White Oak, MD
Kemp Mill, MD
Kensington, MD
Chevy Chase, MD
Martin's Additions, MD
Friendship Heights Village, MD
Bethesda, MD
Lone Oak, MD
Garrett Park, MD
Wheaton-Glenmont, MD
Chillum, MD
Langley Park, MD
College Park, MD
Woodside Park, MD
Franklin Knolls, MD
Clifton Park Village, MD
Frederick, MD
Applegate, MD
Ballenger Creek, MD
Braddock Heights, MD
Spring Ridge, MD
Linganore-Bartonsville, MD
Ceresville, MD
Clover Hill, MD
Middletown, MD
Jefferson, MD
Buckeystown, MD
New Market, MD
Monrovia, MD
Taskers Chance, MD
Industrial Center East, MD
Whittier, MD
Golden-mile, MD
Frederick Heights, MD
Fort Detrick, MD
Amber Meadows, MD
Annapolis, MD
Parole, MD
Timber Creek, MD
Admiral Heights, MD
Eastport, MD
Annapolis Overlook, MD
Hillsmere Shores, MD
Highland Beach, MD
Rolling Hills, MD
Sherwood Forest, MD
Crownsville, MD
Riva, MD
Edgewater, MD
Londontowne, MD
Selby-on-the-bay, MD
Herald Harbor, MD
Arnold, MD
Arden-On-The-Severn, MD
Crofton, MD
Davidsonville, MD
Baltimore, MD
Fells Point, MD
Canton, MD
Greektown, MD
Bayview, MD
Pulaski Industrial Area, MD
Mid-Town Belvedere, MD
Locust Point, MD
Pigtown, MD
Carrollton Ridge, MD
Baltimore Highlands, MD
Saint Helena, MD
Dundalk Historic District, MD
Graceland Park, MD
Charles Village, MD
Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello, MD
Belair-Edison, MD
Frankford, MD
Downtown, MD
Middle East, MD
