Cerebral Palsy can cause severe difficulties with muscle coordination and control. It can affect speech, hand-eye coordination, and more. These difficulties are permanent and can be a significant hardship for the victim and their family.
If your child is showing symptoms of or has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, you should consult an experienced brain injury lawyer in Baton Rouge.
Not all cases of Cerebral Palsy are caused by medical malpractice, but many are. If a medical error caused your child’s condition, you deserve to be compensated for your damages.
You need a Baton Rouge Cerebral Palsy lawyer with a proven record of recovering maximum client compensation and who fights hard for their clients. You need Babcock Injury Lawyers.
We have over twenty-five years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Baton Rouge and getting them the justice and compensation they deserve. We want to do the same for you.
Call (225) 500-5000 or complete the brief form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation. We will listen to you, answer your questions, and explain your rights. If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to recover every dollar you deserve.
Three Main Types of Cerebral Palsy
According to the American Brain Foundation, Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood. It can be caused by brain damage before or during birth, abnormal brain development, or brain damage following an injury or infection in the first two years of life.
It is estimated that three out of every 1,000 children are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. There are three main types of Cerebral Palsy:
- Spastic Cerebral Palsy is the most common type and accounts for 70 percent of all cases. Spastic hemiplegia is characterized by muscle stiffness on only one side of the body. Spastic diplegia affects the lower legs and makes walking difficult. The most severe form is spastic quadriplegia which may cause seizures and cognitive difficulties.
- Ataxic Cerebral Palsy impacts fine motor skills, coordination, and balance. Some children may have an erratic speech pattern, but most do not suffer cognitive delays.
- Dystonic Cerebral Palsy is characterized by uncontrolled movements and a twisted torso.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy symptoms can vary widely depending on the severity of a person’s condition. Some of the most common symptoms of CP include:
- Spastic muscle movements
- Excessively floppy or stiff muscle tone
- Stiff muscle movements
- Involuntary tremors
- Ataxia
- Athetosis
- Difficulty eating
- Excessive drooling
- Favoring one side of the body
- Difficulty speaking or with speech development
- Difficulty walking
- Difficulty swallowing
- Delayed development of motor functions
If your newborn experiences any of these symptoms, consult your medical professional and speak to an experienced Baton Rouge Cerebral Palsy attorney.
Common Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Some causes of Cerebral Palsy are not medical malpractice related. For example, CP could occur from the mother having a bacterial infection, chickenpox, or rubella during pregnancy.
In a few cases, brain damage may occur several days after birth from a brain infection or a serious head injury.
However, many cases of CP are caused by medical malpractice. Some examples of medical errors or negligence that result in Cerebral Palsy include:
- Delayed Delivery. When the medical professional in charge allows delivery to go on too long or fails to timely perform a cesarean section when necessary, the baby’s brain can be deprived of sufficient oxygen, leading to brain damage and cerebral palsy.
- Medication Errors. If the wrong medication or improper dosage of a drug is given to the mother during pregnancy or labor, it could lead to Cerebral Palsy.
- Birth Trauma. Medical professionals may misuse tools such as forceps or vacuum extractors, leading to brain damage to the baby.
- Lack of Fetal Monitoring. If the medical professionals assisting during birth fail to monitor for fetal distress, they may not recognize signs of distress that can lead to oxygen deprivation and brain damage.
- Prenatal Care Mistakes. If your medical provider fails to recognize adverse maternal health conditions, it could lead to complications during pregnancy and delivery that can contribute to Cerebral Palsy.
- Lack of Infection Prevention. When infection control practices are insufficient during labor, neonatal infections can occur, resulting in brain damage.
- Inadequate Care of High-Risk Pregnancies. Your doctor has a duty to recognize if you may be at a higher risk during your pregnancy and to refer you to specialized care. High-risk conditions may include preeclampsia, advanced maternal age, gestational diabetes, or other abnormalities that could cause complications that increase the risk of Cerebral Palsy.
- Failure to Treat Jaundice. If jaundice in a newborn is not diagnosed and properly treated, it can result in brain damage and cerebral palsy.
Physicians, nurses, midwives, hospitals, healthcare facilities, or manufacturers of defective drugs or medical devices used during pregnancy or childbirth may be responsible for these errors.
The Cerebral Palsy attorneys at Babcock Injury Lawyers thoroughly investigate every case to determine all possible causes and potential liable parties to help maximize your compensation.
Statute of Limitations for Cerebral Palsy Medical Malpractice Claims
A statute of limitations sets the deadline for filing your claim. In Louisiana, the statute of limitations for all medical malpractice claims is one year from the date of the original incident or when you discovered the medical malpractice, but no later than three years from the date of the act.
That means you must file your claim within one year from when the medical professional committed malpractice or within one year of the date you should have discovered malpractice had been committed.
If, for some valid reason, you did not know about the malpractice until later, you still must file your claim within three years of the act of malpractice.
You need to act quickly. Your attorney needs time to investigate your case adequately, identify causes and liable parties, and discover and collect essential evidence.
Contact a Baton Rouge Cerebral Palsy Attorney Today
If you suspect your child may have Cerebral Palsy, you should seek immediate medical attention to get a proper diagnosis.
You should also promptly consult an experienced Cerebral Palsy lawyer in Baton Rouge to protect your rights and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
The personal injury attorneys at Babcock Injury Lawyers have protected the rights of Louisiana injury victims for over twenty years and have a proven record of recovering maximum client compensation.
Insurance companies will fight hard to deny your claim. Our attorneys know their tactics to avoid paying your claim or to pay as little as possible, and we know how to combat those tactics.
Let us help you hold those responsible for your child’s injuries accountable. Call (225) 500-5000 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation.
If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to recover every dollar you deserve.