Seeking compensation for cerebral palsy, other birth injuries: sooner is better than later, P.1

Birth injuries come in a variety of types, from those related to the brain, to the muscles or other physical injuries, to those related to infections, and injuries from the delivery itself. One common birth injury is cerebral palsy, which affects both the brain and the muscles. Primarily, cerebral palsy is a brain-related injury, but it does impact the way the brain communicates with muscle groups.

Cerebral palsy is not a condemnation to a life of unhappiness. Those who have the condition can adapt fairly well to circumstances and lead a relatively normal life. That being said, there are certainly challenges for those with cerebral palsy. The extent of these challenges depends, in part, on the severity of the condition. A recent article mentioned some of these challenges, and the importance of taking legal action to address these challenges early on.

When parents begin to notice developmental issues related to cerebral palsy, speaking to a lawyer sooner is better than later to ensure that parents understand the extent of the injury and their options for seeking appropriate compensation. Parents who notice developmental issues can have a medical evaluation done to determine cause of the problems. Medical evaluation of an infant is based on the so-called Apgar test, which evaluates an infant’s appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration.

Parents who learn that their child has symptoms of cerebral palsy need medical evaluation not only for their ability to care for the child, but also to prepare for future challenges related to the condition.

We’ll continue this discussion in our next post.

Source:

birthinjuryguide.com, “Birth Injury Types,” June 29, 2016.