Learning that your newborn child has cerebral palsy can be overwhelming for a family. Children with this condition can develop at different intervals and can face varying challenges. You probably have many concerns about what the future holds and how you will pay for your child’s medical care and other needs throughout their life. Learning as much as possible about the condition and your child’s anticipated prognosis will give you the best chance of helping them.
If you suspect improper medical care caused your baby to develop cerebral palsy, a Kalamazoo cerebral palsy lawyer can help you pursue a cerebral palsy malpractice claim against the medical team who cared for you during the baby’s delivery. Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. is your partner in this fight.
Different Types of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a health condition that can affect a person’s motor functioning, ability to move, and cognitive functioning. The three types of cerebral palsy (spastic, athetoid, and ataxic) all have different signs and symptoms.
The most common type is spastic cerebral palsy, in which a child has stiff muscles and difficulty moving due to tightness in their muscles. Athetoid cerebral palsy patients experience involuntary movements, low muscle tone, postural difficulties, and slurred speech. People with ataxic cerebral palsy often experience tremors and have problems with muscle coordination and balance.
How Does Cerebral Palsy Occur?
Cerebral palsy can be either congenital or acquired. Most legal malpractice cases involving cerebral palsy address the congenital type, in which birth-related trauma during pregnancy or delivery led to the condition. Acquired cerebral palsy develops after birth due to a child’s infection or injury.
Cerebral palsy often occurs because of abnormal brain development during pregnancy or due to damage to the brain during a baby’s delivery or after birth. Sometimes, genetic abnormalities or environmental factors that are out of the control of medical professionals cause the condition. Other times, cerebral palsy develops as a direct result of an obstetrician, midwife, or other healthcare practitioner’s negligence.
Compassionate attorneys understand how life-changing a diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be for a child in Kalamazoo and their entire family. We can help you recover enough damages to address the financial pressures you are facing and will face in the future.
Types of Medical Mistakes That Lead to Cerebral Palsy
A family might be eligible to sue for malpractice when an error during pregnancy or the delivery process contributes to a child’s congenital cerebral palsy diagnosis. Some of the most common kinds of mistakes made by healthcare providers that could lead to cerebral palsy are as follows:
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of a mother’s infections, including meningitis, during pregnancy
- Failure to order a c-section in advance when ultrasound measurements indicate that a baby is too large to deliver through the birth canal
- Delayed c-section
- Failure to recognize a prolapsed or nuchal umbilical cord
- Failure to successfully monitor the fetal heart rate and recognize signs of distress
- Causing damage to a baby’s head due to mistakes in the use of delivery tools
A Kalamazoo cerebral palsy negligence lawyer can help a family determine whether they have legal cause to pursue a lawsuit against the medical team.
Work with a Kalamazoo Cerebral Palsy Attorney
If you believe your child developed cerebral palsy because their doctor or other health care worker did something that falls below the accepted standard of care, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit. If you prevail in your legal claim, you could get the money you need to care for your child over the course of their lifetime.
You could also hold the responsible parties legally accountable for their wrongful actions and potentially prevent another family from suffering the same pain. Schedule a consultation today with a Kalamazoo cerebral palsy lawyer. You do not pay us a dime unless we win compensation in the lawsuit.
Kalamazoo Cerebral Palsy Resources
Kalamazoo Community Mental Health & SA- Developmental Disabilities – Government Organization Facebook Page that offers professional, caring support and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities who reside in Kalamazoo County.
Kalamazoo County Loan Programs – Listing of different loan programs for anyone with a disability.
United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan – Organization that connects people with disabilities to the opportunities and resources needed to live productive and independent lives.
