At The Becker Law Firm, LPA, we specialize in cases involving birth injuries, particularly those resulting in cerebral palsy. Our dedicated team of birth injury attorneys in Cincinnati are committed to advocating for the rights and interests of children and their families affected by such devastating conditions.
Learn more about how our Cincinnati cerebral palsy lawyer can help you by contacting us online or by calling 216-621-3000 today!
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Common symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
- Movement and coordination issues: Children with cerebral palsy often struggle with basic movements, such as crawling, walking, or reaching for objects. Some may exhibit exaggerated reflexes or muscle stiffness (spasticity), while others may have involuntary movements (dyskinesia).
- Muscle tone abnormalities: Cerebral palsy can cause either too much or too little muscle tone, resulting in stiffness, floppiness, or unpredictable muscle tension.
- Speech and communication difficulties: Many children with cerebral palsy have difficulty speaking or understanding language due to the muscles required for speech being affected.
- Seizures: Some children with cerebral palsy experience seizures or epilepsy as part of their condition.
- Developmental delays: Affected children may experience delays in reaching developmental milestones like rolling over, sitting up, or walking.
- Vision and hearing problems: Cerebral palsy can impact a child’s ability to see or hear, which may require corrective measures like glasses or hearing aids.
- Difficulty swallowing: Children with cerebral palsy may have trouble swallowing, making eating difficult and requiring special feeding techniques.
How to Prove Negligence in a Birth Injury Claim
To succeed in a birth injury claim, several key elements must be established:
- Duty of care: Healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical staff, have a legal duty to supply a standard of care to their patients. In the context of childbirth, this means ensuring that the mother and child receive appropriate medical attention during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
- Breach of duty: To prove negligence, you must demonstrate that the medical provider breached their duty of care. This breach can take many forms, including failing to monitor fetal distress, improper use of delivery instruments (like forceps or vacuum extractors), or failing to perform a timely C-section when necessary. Any deviation from accepted medical practices that put the mother or baby at risk could be considered a breach of duty.
- Causation: In addition to proving that a healthcare provider breached their duty of care, you must indicate a direct link between the breach and the injury. For example, if a doctor failed to address a lack of oxygen during delivery (hypoxia) and the baby developed cerebral palsy as a result, this would demonstrate causation.
- Damages: Finally, you must show that the injury resulted in substantial financial and emotional damages. In these instances, these damages could include ongoing medical treatment, physical therapy, adaptive equipment, loss of future earnings, and pain and suffering.
Why Hire The Becker Law Firm, LPA?
We understand that dealing with a cerebral palsy diagnosis can be an overwhelming experience. That's why our cerebral palsy lawyers in Cincinnati are here to provide you with legal support and guidance during this challenging time. We have decades of experience handling complex medical malpractice cases, including those involving birth injuries leading to cerebral palsy.
We believe that if your child's condition was due to a preventable medical error or negligence, you deserve justice. Our goal is to help you secure maximum compensation for past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and other damages related to your child's condition.
