Atlanta Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
Legal Representation for Families Dealing With Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries
According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy occurs in two to four births out of every 1,000 in the U.S. and Europe. The condition stems from a number of neurological brain disorders that affect body movement and muscle coordination. It is a permanent and irreversible condition, often undiagnosed for the first few years of a child's life. Learning that your baby has a permanent and irreversible neurological disorder can be devastating. Sometimes, a variety of factors contribute to the development of the disorder, but medical errors during the birth process are a significant cause of cerebral palsy birth injuries. When the fault lies in medical malpractice, the Atlanta birth injury attorneys at Grant Law Office, have the necessary experience, knowledge and resources to ensure that you have the best possible legal representation.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
When a parent has little or no knowledge of CP, the symptoms and onset might not be obvious for as long as the first three years of life. However, the sooner you suspect the condition, the better. It is, therefore, advisable to acquaint yourself with the condition and its early symptoms so that you can seek a qualified medical expert for treatment.
These are the most common symptoms:
- A lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia)
- Stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity)
- Walking with one foot or leg dragging, walking on the toes, a crouched gait, a scissored gait or muscle tone that is too stiff or too floppy (atheoid)
Treatment Options
There is no cure for cerebral palsy. However, it is a non-progressive disease, and treatment can sometimes improve a child's capabilities. As with any health condition, the sooner treatment for cerebral palsy begins, the better the chance of overcoming developmental disabilities. Depending upon the severity of your child's condition, treatment can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, surgical correction of anatomical abnormalities or to release tight muscles, orthotic devices, wheelchairs, walkers, communication aids like computers with attached voice synthesizers and drugs for the control of seizures, to relax muscle spasms and for pain relief. The success of treatment will vary upon the severity of your child's condition.
Cerebral Palsy Caused by Malpractice
Cerebral palsy usually occurs during delivery and results from hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain, or asphyxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the body, premature delivery or trauma during the birthing process. The first step in the review is to establish causation, whether or not the cerebral palsy birth injuries occurred due to a medical professional's mistake or natural causes for which there is no fault. If medical malpractice played a part, common causes include these:
- A failure to detect and properly treat infections in the mother during pregnancy
- A failure to appropriately monitor fetal heart rate before and during the labor and birth process
- A failure to detect a displacement of the umbilical cord
- A failure to determine if the baby is too large for a natural birth so that a caesarean section procedure ("C-section") needed to be planned and scheduled
- A failure to perform, or a delay in performing a C-section
- A failure to use instruments correctly in performing a delivery, or a negligent or avoidable mistake made with the use of instruments during a delivery
CP occurs because of brain damage from other factors, as well, where liability might lie outside of medical malpractice or where there may be no liability. For instance, cerebral palsy might be the result of child abuse, a car accident, a fall, bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis.
Call Grant Law Office for a Consultation About Your Birth Injury Legal Matter
When a child is born with cerebral palsy, one can't assume that medical malpractice occurred. Sometimes, there is no fault attributable. However, when medical mistakes do happen, the damage is irrevocable because of a professional's error. A child will never have a chance to know his or her full potential in life, and the child's family takes on a lifetime of dedicating time and financial resources to the care and treatment of the child. If your child shows symptoms of cerebral palsy within the first three years after birth, the first step you should take is to consult a medical specialist.
The Atlanta cerebral palsy attorneys and staff at Grant Law Office, compassionately and skillfully guide you through the judicial process. Due to the complexity of medical and legal issues in professional malpractice cases, the legal process is lengthy, but they will keep you advised of the status. Most importantly, if you ever have questions, a legal advocate is available for you at all times.
There are time limitations on pursuing medical malpractice claims in Atlanta, so the sooner you retain experienced legal representation, the more time there is to prepare the case. Call us at (404) 995-3955, send a case review form or send an email to submit@waynegrant.com. We do our best to ensure that your family receives the full compensation to which you are entitled under Georgia law.
Additional Information
- Common Types of Georgia Birth Injuries
- Cerebral Palsy Information Page - NIH
- Cerebral Palsy - MedlinePlus
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) - CDC
- Cerebral Palsy Information from the Mayo Clinic
Contact us today for a free and comprehensive case evaluation.
We require no legal retainer or upfront fees,
and you pay nothing unless we prevail.
Phone: (404) 995-3955
