Missouri Cerebral Palsy Legal Help
If you’re a parent in Missouri whose child has been diagnosed with CP, call 1-855-833-3707 today.
Cerebral palsy is a medical condition that occurs in 2 to 3 out of every 1500 live births. In the past, it wasn’t clear what caused this condition, but as more research was done into childbirth over the decades, it was found that medical malpractice was a very significant factor and frequent cause. If your child was born with this condition, you need to talk to an experienced Missouri cerebral palsy lawyer to discuss your legal options.
If your child’s condition was caused by a doctor’s malpractice, why should your family bear the financial burden associated with raising a special needs child?
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Simply put, cerebral palsy is a motor and cognitive disorder that occurs due to trauma to parts of the brain that control vital functions such as speech and movement. This can happen either during pregnancy, during delivery, shortly after birth or due to an infection passed on from the mother to the child prenatally. In all of these cases, doctors and other medical professionals may be liable for not acting fast enough or judiciously to prevent brain trauma from happening or an infection from spreading to the baby when they know the risk exists.
Cerebral palsy is usually not easy to detect during the first hours or days after a child’s birth. That being said, there are things that may point to the presence of the condition.
Here’s a list of early warning signs:
- The baby hardly cries shortly after birth
- The baby doesn’t seem agitated or move around in its cot after birth
- The baby doesn’t move its head or hands in response to environmental stimuli
As months turn into years, more signs might come to light and the condition becomes more apparent. One of the hallmark signs is developmental delay. This basically means that your child will have a hard time reaching certain milestones compared to his or her peers. This includes things like sitting up, crawling, walking, the development of language and identifying people in its environment. A surefire way of getting answers would be to see a developmental pediatric doctor who will then attempt to diagnose any developmental issues. Once you’re armed with a diagnosis, you can then get in touch with a cerebral palsy lawyer to discuss a potential claim against the hospital or medical professionals who are found to be responsible.
Treatment Options
Unfortunately, cerebral palsy can’t be cured. However, there are certain treatments and procedures that can help reduce the physical affects of the condition if done in a timely manner. One such procedure is called selective dorsal rhizotomy, and it involves surgeons cutting some of the nerves found near the spinal cord to release tension in the child’s musculature. This may enable the child to move more freely, and will help them with simple things that most of us take for granted such as moving his or her arms, swiveling the head effortlessly in either direction, walking in a natural gait or opening up their hands voluntarily. That being said, this is a costly procedure that’s more often than not out of the question for many families in Missouri who are already struggling to pay other related expenses. This is why it’s important to contact a cerebral palsy attorney to ensure that you explore all of the legal options available to you and your child.
Why You Should Contact a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer
Given the fact that cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder caused by irreversible damage to the brain, you will need to provide your child with extra care in the form of walking crutches, wheelchairs, special clothing and extensive physical therapy. By seeking out a cerebral palsy attorney, you may be able to recover money damages that will go into paying for all these costs without putting any kind of strain on your own finances.
Please call us today at 1-855-833-3707 for your free consultation. Alternatively, feel free to fill out the contact form on this page and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.
More Information: Missouri Cerebral Palsy Resources