Cerebral Palsy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Support
Washington DC Birth Injury Law
While the cause of cerebral palsy is often a medical mistake, the consequences can last a lifetime. In the Washington D.C. area, parents of patients can call on lawyers to help address the medical and financial costs of cerebral palsy if medical malpractice has occurred. With an appropriate and fair financial settlement, parents can responsibly ensure a better quality of life for their injured child.
How does that work? It is estimated that the average lifetime expense for living with cerebral palsy is approximately $921,000. These expenses accumulate in several ways:
- Medications
- Rehabilitation and rehabilitation specialists
- Hospitalizations
- Surgery
- Medical doctor visits
- Psychological counseling
- Medical equipment
Additionally, there are non-medical costs involving home modifications to enhance mobility, special education and needed vehicle modifications as well. Costs for care continue into the adult years of the person with cerebral palsy.
Unfortunately, cerebral palsy disabilities and related expenses are too often the result of preventable mistakes. For residents of Washington D.C., cerebral palsy attorneys are the professionals that can help families seek financial relief when cerebral palsy is the result of medical malpractice.
Oxygen deprivation, nervous system damage
Cerebral palsy is the broad definition of several movement disorders (that include Erbs palsy, spastic, ataxic, athetoid and mixed cerebral palsies), largely caused by oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) that occurs during or shortly after birth.
Signs of the condition are not immediately apparent. Damage to the nervous system is noticed months and sometimes years later, when the child shows a lack of facial expressions, poor reflexes to loud noises, or an inability of the eyes to follow movement. Later, limb musculature is characterized by either rigidity or flaccidity, while impaired motor control of the limbs can affect two or all four limbs. Children with cerebral palsy often (but not always) suffer from learning disabilities, developmental delays, mental retardation, paralysis, vision problems and hearing loss.
How to cover costs
Clearly, these conditions create great expense during childhood and as the individual ages into adulthood. While we have world-class professionals and facilities for patients and families around Washington D.C., cerebral palsy lawyers have to focus on the cost of that care and who shares the responsibility for proper treatment.
The role of cerebral palsy attorneys is to identify where healthcare providers may have failed the mother and child. This may include any of the following:
- Delayed or failure to perform a timely cesarean section
- Inattention to vital signs of mother and baby (blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory readings) before, during and after birth
- Failure to notice when an umbilical cord reduced flow of oxygen to the baby
- Delayed or non-response to trauma or other complications during delivery
CEREBRAL PALSY LAWYERS ARE Prepared to help
We understand the emotional toll a birth injury can take on your family. Strength in experience, legal ability, and attention to detail are the hallmarks of Nash & Associates. Call the firm at 202-327-5498 or toll-free at 800-690-7895, or contact us online to schedule your initial consultation.
