At The Becker Law Firm, LPA, we understand the unique challenges faced by families dealing with cerebral palsy. Our experienced Columbus cerebral palsy attorney is dedicated to providing compassionate legal support to families in Ohio. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy due to medical negligence, we are here to help.
Contact us at 216-621-3000 for a free consultation with our cerebral palsy lawyer in Columbus.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect movement, muscle tone, and motor skills. It is caused by damage or abnormalities in the developing brain, often occurring before or during birth. CP can impact a person's ability to move, maintain balance, and coordinate muscle movements.
What are Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy symptoms can vary widely, and they may become more apparent as a child grows. Common signs and symptoms include:
- Delayed Motor Milestones: Delays in reaching motor milestones, such as sitting up, crawling, or walking.
- Muscle Rigidity or Weakness: Abnormal muscle tone, which can manifest as stiffness or floppiness in the limbs.
- Impaired Coordination: Difficulty coordinating movements and maintaining balance.
- Speech and Language Delays: Challenges with speech and language development.
- Fine Motor Skill Challenges: Difficulty with tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning clothes.
- Gait Abnormalities: Walking with an abnormal gait, such as walking on toes or with a wide stance.
What Damages Could Be Recovered in a Birth Injury Claim?
Common damages recovered in cerebral palsy claims include the following:
- Medical expenses: The cost of current and future medical care is a significant component of any cerebral palsy claim. This may include expenses for surgeries, hospital stays, physical therapy, medication, and assistive devices like wheelchairs.
- Rehabilitation costs: Cerebral palsy often needs ongoing therapy to improve motor skills and help the child gain independence. Compensation could cover occupational, physical, and speech therapies.
- Home modifications: As children with cerebral palsy grow, they may require modifications to their living spaces to accommodate mobility devices or other needs. This can include installing ramps, widening doorways, or remodeling bathrooms for accessibility.
- Loss of future earning capacity: Cerebral palsy can limit a child’s ability to work and earn a living. Compensation may account for lost earning potential over their lifetime.
- Pain and suffering: Cerebral palsy can cause physical pain and emotional distress, both for the child and the family. Compensation for pain and suffering helps address the emotional toll of dealing with a lifelong disability.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Cerebral palsy can greatly limit a child’s ability to participate in activities or enjoy life fully. This non-economic damage may be included in a claim to reflect the diminished quality of life.
Who Needs a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer?
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe it may have been caused by medical negligence, you may need a cerebral palsy lawyer. This could include situations where mistakes were made during birth, or if a healthcare provider failed to diagnose or treat a condition that led to cerebral palsy. Other situations that merit the intervention of an attorney include:
- Birth Injuries: If cerebral palsy resulted from medical negligence during childbirth, a lawyer can help determine if there are grounds for a legal claim.
- Failure to Diagnose: If medical professionals failed to diagnose cerebral palsy in a timely manner, resulting in delayed treatment, legal action may be warranted.
- Medication Errors: In cases where medication errors or mismanagement contributed to cerebral palsy, a lawyer can help pursue compensation.
- Anesthesia Errors: If errors during anesthesia administration led to cerebral palsy, legal recourse may be available.
How The Becker Law Firm Can Help
Our experienced Columbus cerebral palsy lawyer can provide invaluable assistance by:
- Conducting a thorough evaluation of the circumstances surrounding the cerebral palsy diagnosis to determine if there are grounds for legal action.
- Collecting medical records, consulting with experts, and gathering evidence to build a strong case.
- Guiding families through the legal process, including filing claims, negotiating with insurers, and, if necessary, pursuing litigation.
- Pursuing compensation for medical expenses, ongoing care, therapy, assistive devices, and the pain and suffering experienced by the affected child and family.
