Becoming a parent can be complex, and when your child is born with a physical disability it can be even more challenging. Daily ups and downs, victories, and struggles – one of the most heartbreaking things to hear as a parent is that your child’s disability was caused by a doctor’s negligence. Learning that this disability could have been prevented must be devastating.
If you have a child with cerebral palsy caused by a birth injury, consider calling Elstein Legal as soon as possible. An experienced cerebral palsy lawyer could help you recover damages to help with medical care, and obtain the justice you and your child deserve.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects how one moves and maintains balance and posture. It is the most common motor disability in children and is caused by damage to the brain, affecting one’s ability to control their muscles. Cerebral palsy can accompany conditions such as intellectual disabilities, problems with vision or hearing, and spine problems such as scoliosis.
Cerebral palsy may vary greatly from person to person. Some with CP might need special equipment to walk, or need lifelong care, while others may have some difficulty walking but not need a greater level of care.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
- Variations in muscle tone, such as being too stiff or too floppy
- Ataxia (lack of muscle coordination)
- Tremors/involuntary movements
- Slow movements
- Favoring one side of the body
- Excessive drooling
- Problems with swallowing or sucking
- Speech delays or difficulty speaking
- Motor skill delays like sitting up or crawling
- Learning difficulties
- Seizures
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
CP may occur when there is an abnormal development of the brain or damage to the brain that makes it difficult for a child to control their muscles. This can happen either before, during, or after birth, while the brain is still developing. The vast majority of cerebral palsy occurs before or during birth and is known as congenital CP.
Common causes of congenital CP are:
- Low birthweight
- Premature birth
- Multiple births
- Infections during pregnancy
- Jaundice
- A mother’s medical conditions
- Birth complications
Could Your Doctor Have Prevented Your Child’s CP?
There are certain circumstances in which your health care provider may have missed certain critical signs of CP before or during birth. During your prenatal visits, your health care team is responsible for monitoring symptoms of infection through monthly check-ups and ultrasounds at certain intervals of the pregnancy. If your doctor missed warning signs and failed to complete the testing when those signs were present, they could be liable.
During labor and delivery, your birth team needs to monitor your baby closely for any signs of distress. If they did not sufficiently monitor your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels or did not give a potential problem the attention it deserved, it may have impacted your child’s brain development.
Why Choose Elstein Legal to Represent your Case?
Since opening Elstein Legal in 2018, Miami personal injury attorney Brian L. Elstein has recovered millions on behalf of his deserving clients. A cum laude graduate of Nova Southeastern University, Brian Elstein honed his skills early as a member of the Nova Trial Association.
Today, he is recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as a Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer in Florida and has been selected to the 2022-2023 Florida Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers Magazine – a distinction given to only 2.5% of attorneys in Florida, and named 2022 Best Litigation Attorney by Expertise.com.
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If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you deserve expert legal representation to seek the justice you deserve and obtain fair compensation. You will gain an advocate for every stage in the claims process until you have the compensation you deserve.
Call us at (305) 299-2835 or contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case. There is no fee unless we win your case.