Newborn infants are extremely susceptible to suffering long-lasting harm from injuries they sustain during birth. One of the most consequential conditions that can result from a birth injury is cerebral palsy, which can severely limit a child’s physical and sometimes intellectual capabilities for their entire life. Unfortunately, it often stems from a specific reckless or careless act by a medical professional assisting with that child’s birth.
If you believe a doctor’s misconduct led to your child developing this condition, you should consider speaking with a Southfield cerebral palsy lawyer about your legal options. Cases like this often have very high stakes and tend to be procedurally complex as well. Guidance from a seasoned birth injury attorney can be important to getting the best possible case result. Without a legal professional, you might not secure any damages at all.
The term “cerebral palsy” actually refers to several related disorders that all affect the function, tone, and control of the muscles. They all stem from damage to a child’s brain during gestation, birth, or very early infancy. This type of condition can manifest very differently from person to person and may have varying degrees of severity. Some particularly common early signs that a child may have cerebral palsy include:
Specific symptoms of cerebral palsy may change in severity over time, but the underlying disorder in the child’s brain will remain more or less the same for their entire life. A Southfield cerebral palsy attorney could discuss possible legal options during a confidential consultation following a cerebral palsy diagnosis from a qualified physician.
While cerebral palsy can sometimes stem from uncontrollable gene mutations, it is more often caused by traumatic damage to the brain. This is generally due to oxygen deprivation but sometimes due to other forms of harm like internal bleeding, infections, fetal strokes, and blows to the head or neck. Unfortunately, trauma like this often happens directly because of negligence by a physician assisting with childbirth, a physician who was supposed to diagnose and properly treat a dangerous condition or injury like those listed above, or a combination of both.
A medical professional who fails to meet the “standard of care” for their position and causes a child to develop cerebral palsy may hold financial liability for various economic and non-economic losses that child will suffer due to their condition. Breaching the standard of care means that they failed to act the way another doctor with equivalent training and experience likely would have under the same circumstances. Through a successful settlement demand or lawsuit, a cerebral palsy lawyer in Southfield could potentially help hold a negligent doctor or hospital liable for short-term and long-term medical bills, lost future earning capacity, physical and psychological suffering, lost quality of life, and more.
There are numerous rules and restrictions applicable to medical malpractice lawsuits in Michigan that do not apply to other types of civil litigation. Given that fact, and the difficulties associated with caring for a child with CP, it can be nearly impossible to deal with a legal claim all by yourself.
Fortunately, you do not have to pursue your claim alone if you seek help from a compassionate Southfield cerebral palsy lawyer. We do not take an attorney’s fee unless we secure you a monetary award, so reach out to us today.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan – List of Cerebral Palsy Resources including books for adults and children, DVDs, local support, and more.
CP Family Network – Cerebral Palsy Resources and Information for families.
United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan – Organization that connects people with disabilities to the opportunities and resources needed to live productive and independent lives.
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To have a conversation about your child with one of our experienced Michigan cerebral palsy lawyers, call us now. We will listen to your story and explain how we can best help your child and family.
