The medical expenses associated with cerebral palsy can be very high. Some people who suffer from this injury are able to live quite normal lives, with the full mental capacity of an adult and some physical issues that may require medical attention here and there. In other cases, this condition may result in very severe disabilities. The ability to walk, to handle objects and even to breathe and swallow may be compromised. The child may also suffer from severe learning disabilities.
Cerebral palsy in infants is not always obvious at first. In the instances where the disorder is mild, there may be difficulty walking and handling objects, but this will obviously not be apparent until the child starts trying to do those things. In severe cases, the eyes may be misaligned, the child may have difficulty breathing and there may be significant learning disabilities that will not become recognizable until the child begins trying to speak and learn other basic abilities. In any case, there is the potential for this injury to have very significant consequences on the child’s quality of life.
Very severe cases of dyskinetic cerebral palsy, for instance, may cause problems with mobility that require a wheelchair or other assistance devices. In some very severe cases, getting around at all may be a challenge for the affected individual and some people thus affected will require professional assistance for their entire life. This carries with it expenses that may be well beyond the financial resources of most families. In such cases, exploring your legal options may be the best way to obtain financial assistance to cover the costs of cerebral palsy.
A cerebral palsy lawyer will have to determine, first and foremost, if it is likely that negligence on the part of the medical staff led to the injury. There are cases where Cerebral Palsy occurs completely naturally, as a result of complications during pregnancy, birth or even after birth. However, there are some cases where doctors and nurses fail to provide competent care or were flat out negligent. Call us at 1-855-833-3707 for a free consultation, and we’ll explain your legal options moving forward.