Nothing can prepare parents and families for the pain a birth injury can bring. Cerebral palsy is the most common developmental disorder in children can be caused by a birth injury. Receiving a cerebral palsy diagnosis can be devastating for parents. Although there are treatments that can help, the condition is not curable. Living with cerebral palsy will affect a child for the rest of their life and prevent them from being able to do basic tasks on their own. Realizing that your child won’t be able to have the life you hoped for them can be heartbreaking. It’s even more distressing knowing that your child’s cerebral palsy could have been prevented.
If your child has cerebral palsy, there is legal help available. The lawyers at Latona Law can help you receive compensation for your child’s birth injury in Easton.
How is Cerebral Palsy Caused?
There are times when cerebral palsy doesn’t occur as a result of medical neglect and can’t be prevented. A number of factors, such as genetics, can cause a brain malformation that causes cerebral palsy. There are also times when cerebral palsy is caused by an injury, but not necessarily one that warrants any legal action. During difficult pregnancies and deliveries, an injury can arise that medical staff couldn’t do anything to prevent. In some cases, parents may never know what caused their child’s cerebral palsy.
Because cerebral palsy can be caused by events not related to a birth injury, many parents might not be suspect that this is the cause. Cerebral palsy can not only be caused by an injury that occurs during delivery, but also during pregnancy and while they’re a newborn. If the mother has an infection while pregnant that medical professionals don’t treat, it can spread and cause brain damage for the baby. There are a number of brain injuries that can happen to a baby during delivery that can result in cerebral palsy. Most notably, the use of forceps and vacuums can cause significant brain damage. If the umbilical cord is wrapped around a baby’s neck and it isn’t taken care of properly, the lack of oxygen can cause brain damage as well. Soon after birth, conditions, like jaundice, that are left untreated will cause brain damage. If the medical staff involved ignores any signs of distress from the baby, the issues might cause cerebral palsy.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
There are multiple different forms of cerebral palsy a child can have at varying degrees. Although cerebral palsy can be caused by a birth injury, most parents won’t realize that an injury occurred at the time of the child’s birth. Since cerebral palsy is a developmental condition, symptoms won’t be apparent until a child shows developmental delays as they grow. Parents often won’t know that their child has cerebral palsy until their second birthday. Cerebral palsy might not be associated with a birth injury right away. As soon as you suspect that your child has cerebral palsy from a birth injury, you should immediately contact an attorney. In Pennsylvania, you can file a lawsuit for cerebral palsy until a child’s 20th birthday.
The four main types of cerebral palsy are:
Athetoid cerebral palsy – this type of cerebral palsy involuntary movements in the face, torso, and limbs.
Ataxic cerebral palsy – those with ataxic cerebral palsy may have difficulty with balance and coordination.
Spastic cerebral palsy – this may cause stiffness and involuntary movements. It’s also the most common form of cerebral palsy.
The fourth type is a combination of two or more different forms of cerebral palsy.
Compensation for Preventable Cerebral Palsy
No amount of money can take away the pain that cerebral palsy has caused your child and family. While financial compensation won’t repair the damage that has already been done, it could make the future better for your child. The costs of caring for someone with cerebral palsy can grow to insurmountable amounts. Medical bills, living assistance, and special education are extremely expensive, but are necessary to provide for your child. To afford these costs that have been caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve financial compensation. You also deserve compensation for the pain and suffering you and your child have dealt with. This might not ease the pain, but it gives you the chance to regain some of what you’ve lost.
Cerebral Palsy Lawyers in Easton
Any case that involves medical malpractice is extremely complex. To win your case, you need to work lawyers who specialize in cerebral palsy and birth injuries with experience and a solid track record. At Latona Law, we focus entirely on cases that involve medical malpractice and birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy. We’ve analyzed thousands of birth injuries and are ready to fight for you and your child. Since we work on a contingency fee, you don’t pay any legal fees until we win your case.
We offer a free consultation for families in Easton and surrounding areas. Contact us today to discuss your questions and concerns.