Hire a Seasoned New York Birth Injury Lawyer for Cerebral Palsy Cases
Cerebral palsy is a serious injury that affects the life not just of the affected child, but of the parents and the rest of the family as well. Someone with the condition has to deal with the symptoms through his or her entire life, requiring special care and attention, including therapies and the use of assistive devices. It is one of the most common birth injuries, and is often the result of complications during delivery, but may also happen before or after.
A recent case was reported by Injury Lawyer News: “A medical malpractice lawsuit filed against the United States of America argues that gross negligence on the part of health care practitioners led to the minor plaintiff’s hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and cerebral palsy diagnosis.”
In the lawsuit, the parents are suing because the medical professionals allegedly did not follow proper care procedures. Cerebral palsy can be due to an injury in the baby’s brain while in the womb, during labor, or even after the baby has been delivered.
One of the main causes for the condition is the lack of oxygen flowing to the baby’s brain during delivery. These situations can be the result of negligence on the part of the doctor and medical staff, who are expected to recognize if the baby is in need of oxygen and take remedial actions immediately. Additionally, cerebral palsy may be caused by an instrument or procedure related injury, such as forceps or vacuum extraction use, or prolonged labor of more than 18 hours. These are commonly grounds for a medical malpractice case—something which can benefit greatly from the skills and knowledge of an experienced New York birth injury lawyer.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy include lack of muscle control, inability to use muscles, and spastic and involuntary movements. Children may also have trouble with sight, speech, and hearing since cerebral palsy is a brain injury that can affect other areas of the brain, including those that control different body functions.
Cerebral palsy is very difficult for parents to deal with because there is currently no known cure for it; and the costs for taking care of an afflicted child are huge. Parents who have children with cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice can turn to the courts for help in getting financing for the kind of care the child would need through his or her lifetime.
Parents can hire a seasoned New York cerebral palsy lawyer to help them in their case and receive the compensation they need and deserve. Firms such as The Law Offices of Joseph Lichtenstein have a history in dealing with these cases and can be of great assistance.
(Source: Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Alleges Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury, Injury Lawyer News, January 12, 2015)