Cerebral Palsy occurs as a result of an injury to the brain during or before birth and can have a multi-dimensional impact on an individuals’ ability to lead a fully functional life. As a parent, and as an attorney specializing in birth injury, it is unfathomable to imagine having such a celebrated moment turn tragic due to a doctor’s negligence.
While symptoms can be different among individuals with Cerebral Palsy, the general definition encompasses a range of movement disorders that effect the muscles, general posture and the ability to move freely. For a child, this can mean not being able to sit up, crawl, or walk at the appropriate ages. In severe cases, Cerebral Palsy patients can experience judgment and reasoning deficits in addition to the physical impact – but symptoms are not known to grow worse over time.
There are several recognized types of Cerebral Palsy
- The most common type is Spastic Cerebral Palsy which presents with stiff and awkward muscle movement and exaggerated muscle reflexes.
- There are three types of Spastic CP
- Spastic Diplegia – walking difficulties, often causing legs to cross at the knees
- Spastic Hemplegia – Effects one side of the body and can impact development of the arm or leg.
- Spastic Quadriplegia – Is the most severe, effecting the entire body, making talking, walking and daily function extremely difficult
- There are three types of Spastic CP
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy, also known as Athetoid CP, is the second most common. Extreme tense or relaxed muscle movements impact walking, posture, talking and more.
- Ataxic CP patients suffer from a lack of coordination and poor depth perception and balance. This can also lead to seizures and poor fine motor skills.
- Hypotonic cerebral palsy patients have an extreme floppy muscle tone, leading to walking and general posture limitations.
In the US Alone, hundreds of thousands of Cases of CP are reported each year
Do not let your doctor tell you nothing could have been done to prevent the injury. You owe it to yourself to find out what happened to your child. I will find out what happened, and if negligence did occur, I’ll Make Them Pay!® In a birth injury claim, my clients can gain financial compensation for medical bills, supportive care, lost wages and more. I will see to it that you and your child are taken care of for the rest of his/her life.
