Reasons to Hire a Cerebral Palsy Attorney

Cerebral palsy is a condition sometimes caused by a birth injury. This means that either before, during, or shortly after pregnancy, the baby sustains a form of brain injury. Such brain injury may lead to several illnesses that may heal over time, while others may last a lifetime. Couples may file for medical malpractice damages for the latter case, which are better handled with a cerebral palsy attorney’s help. Here are a few more reasons why these attorneys are great allies in such cases:

Expertise – Cerebral palsy lawsuits may involve numerous details that can be overwhelming for someone with little or no specialized legal training. Several cerebral palsy lawyers are experienced enough to take the challenge head-on, counting on what they have learned during their time practicing medical malpractice litigation.

If the cerebral palsy’s root cause is undetermined – Couples unsure whether their child’s injury was caused by doctor malpractice can look to an experienced and skilled medical malpractice lawyer. The attorney can ably assess the case and work with an impartial medical professional to look for clues that may point to medical malpractice as a root cause.

Proving a Preventable Problem

Unlike personal injury, the cause of birth injury isn’t that obvious and a lot harder to prove. This is due in no small part to the high level of expertise required to testify for the victim. In a birth injury case, attorneys take note of several elements that constitute medical malpractice. Below are three of the major ones.

The Dangers of Group B Streptococcus Disease

Your intestinal tract is home to a variety of bacteria. Don’t be alarmed though since most of the bacteria help aid digestion. In some cases, however, some can be harmful. One such example is Group B Streptococcus (strep).

Group B strep is a common bacterium found in the intestine and the lower genital tract. In general, the strain is harmless to adults. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for newborns. If a pregnant woman has Group B strep during the time of delivery, the bacterium can infect the newborn child. If left undetected, the infection can cause pneumonia or even meningitis.

Group B strep disease can be classified into two types: early-onset and late-onset, depending on when symptoms manifest. Typical symptoms of the disease include fever, breathing difficulties, feeding difficulties, lethargy, and irritability.

To prevent Group B strep disease, have yourself screened for the bacterium during your third trimester. Your doctor will collect a quick sample to verify the bacterium’s presence. If the presence of Group B strep is confirmed, you will be put on antibiotics to keep your child safe.

Unfortunately, there are times when a doctor becomes lax with standard procedures and makes an incorrect diagnosis for Group B strep. As such, be on the lookout for symptoms of Group B strep disease for the first trimester of the newborn’s life. Should symptoms manifest and the disease confirmed, get in touch with a trusted birth injury lawyer.

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is one of the neurological disorders that can strike down a child at birth. While it isn’t always an outcome of medical negligence (which means not all cerebral palsy cases equate a medical malpractice case), several instances may cause it to be so. In such cases, it is vital for the loved ones to seek a birth injury lawyer’s help.

Cerebral palsy sometimes occurs when the baby’s brain fail to receive sufficient oxygen prior to birth. Some inherent factors also contribute to the potential development of cerebral palsy, and an attending healthcare professional may have overlooked them.

They include, among others, a failure to constantly monitor and treat the mother for infections during the pregnancy, improper handling of a prolapsed umbilical cord, and failure to go for a caesarean section when the baby’s head is too big for a natural delivery.

An independent medical professional can determine which type of cerebral palsy the child is afflicted with, giving further credence to the case and even possibly pinpoint the people liable for the condition.

Spastic cerebral palsy is notable if the patient has problems with moving their muscles, leading to an inability to grip. Ataxic cerebral palsy has symptoms such as muscle coordination difficulties, sense of balance issues, and poor depth perception. Athetoid cerebral palsy will show through sudden jerks in movement and slurred speech.

Common Medical Malpractices to Be Aware Of

When doctors fail to perform their duties efficiently, resulting in harm or injury to their patient, the latter may file a lawsuit against the former. Determining if medical practice occurred may be identified through several malpractices:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis – When doctors give the patient the wrong analysis or treatment for an illness or when they fail to give diagnosis or treatment that could have averted harm to the patient, a medical malpractice case may be established.
• Child birth injuries – brain injuries, fractured bones, and nerve damages to the fetus can be caused by medical malpractice, but one should keep an open mind that it could also be because of other factors.

A child birth injury may be a medical malpractice case if doctor was negligent in providing prenatal care (failed to diagnose the mother’s medical condition, etc.) or negligent during childbirth (failed to predict birth complications, etc.).

• Medication errors – medication errors may be a case of medical practice when the doctor gives a wrong dosage in prescription, wrong medication, or patient being harmed by the medication (as a result of misdiagnosed illness).
• Anesthesia errors – anesthesia errors can cause brain damage or death. Failure to evaluate the patient’s history for possible complications and inform said patient of risks can be taken against the doctor. Giving excessive anesthesia, using defective equipment, and inept surveillance of the patient’s vital signs are also forms of negligence.
• Surgical errors – a negligent surgeon (or nurse staff) during the operation may be grounds for medical malpractice.