Cerebral Palsy Attorneys in Taylor, Michigan
Of the 10,000 cases or so of cerebral palsy diagnosed this year, a number will be the result of medical malpractice and negligence. However, few of the families with children affected by cerebral palsy will reach out for any legal advice or pursue legal action. At Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys, our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers aim to create a safe, accessible space for you to understand the process of birth injury litigation, learn how money from a settlement can improve your loved one’s life, and take steps towards acquiring financial security for you and your loved one.
We invite you to use the information throughout our site to acquaint yourself with our firm, our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers, and the process of birth injury litigation—we believe learning about cerebral palsy is the first step towards creating a lifetime care plan for your loved one. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns by filling out our contact form or calling us toll-free at (888) 592-1857. One of our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers will provide you with a free legal consultation, answer your questions, and determine if you have a case. Should we take your case, you will not be charged until our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers win or settle in your favor.
Cerebral Palsy: The Facts
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the umbrella term given to the group of movement and motor control disorders caused by brain damage to the cerebrum. Since cerebral palsy is caused by injury or interruption to a child’s developing brain, it most commonly occurs from brain injuries before during, or after delivery. The movement impairments associated with cerebral palsy generally include issues with balance, coordination, posture, reflexes, control, and muscle tone, but people with cerebral palsy also may experience problems with speech and language, swallowing and feeding, learning ability, cognition, seizures, and more.
The Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Our Taylor Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Discuss Malpractice in Michigan
Few pregnancies progress complication-free—mothers and babies experience infections, size incompatibilities, umbilical cord issues, and a whole host of other difficulties throughout otherwise normal pregnancies. But complications, while common, are very dangerous when left untreated. Thus, it is the standard of care for medical professionals to make every effort to diagnose, treat, prevent, and manage the many risk factors, complications, and causes of cerebral palsy. In this section we’ll list some of the common medical errors that cause cerebral palsy.
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, also known as HIE or birth asphyxia, is one of the most common causes of cerebral palsy. HIE is a form of brain injury that occurs when an infant suffers oxygen deprivation around the time of delivery. The neurological damage associated with HIE often results in lifelong disabilities, brain damage, cerebral palsy, and, in the worst cases, fetal death. As you’ll read in this section, a great many pregnancy complications may lead to cerebral palsy when left untreated. For a full list, visit our hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy page here.
- Intracranial hemorrhages and birth trauma: Traumatic birth injuries may damage the connections developed within the brain and result in lifelong cerebral palsy and disabilities. Intracranial hemorrhages, also known as brain bleeds, may result from the incorrect use of delivery assistance tools (forceps and vacuum extractors), hyperstimulation and strong contractions (from the overuse of Pitocin and Cytotec), or size and presentation abnormalities (such as macrosomia, cephalopelvic disproportion, breech presentation, or face presentation). Aside from intracranial hemorrhages, traumatic birth injuries lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, brain damage, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), cerebral palsy, and other lifelong disabilities.
Nuchal cords: When a baby’s umbilical cord wraps around her neck, she is at risk for developing hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Cord entanglement limits the flow of oxygenated blood through the neck artery, compresses the umbilical cord, and congests blood flow. Other conditions nuchal cords may cause include vasa previa, umbilical cord prolapse, and decreased fetal movement and development.- Preterm and post term births account for a large number of cerebral palsy cases every year. Premature babies have underdeveloped organs, bodies, brains, and bodily systems and cannot withstand the insults of labor and delivery. In fact, premature babies’ chances of developing cerebral palsy are 30 times higher than those of full term babies. Post term babies risk postmaturity syndrome (from reduced placental efficiency) and birth trauma from macrosomia and cephalopelvic disproportion.
- Delayed C-sections: When medical professionals fail to order and perform emergency C-sections in a timely matter, they put the baby at risk for brain damage, cerebral palsy, HIE, and lifelong disabilities.
- Fetal monitoring errors result in several cases of CP each year. When medical professionals fail to accurately measure fetal heart rate and oxygen intake, they oversee important indicators that a baby’s health is in danger.
- Preeclampsia and other maternal health conditions directly affects the health of the baby and, when mismanaged, often lead to CP and developmental disabilities. Preeclampsia is the term used for pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. Preeclampsia causes the placental blood vessels to tighten, which ultimately diminishes the flow of oxygen and blood to the baby. In order to avoid preeclampsia-induced HIE, brain damage, and cerebral palsy, medical professionals must carefully monitor, diagnose, and treat the condition.
- Uterine rupture occurs when the forces of labor and delivery cause the uterus to tear open during the birthing process. When the mother loses blood and placental productivity during a uterine rupture, the baby suffers oxygen deprivation and risks HIE, cerebral palsy, and brain damage.
Cerebral Palsy Treatment and Therapy
Cerebral palsy is a chronic neurological condition with no single cure, but a wide selection of treatment and therapy options exist for patients of all ages. In this section, we’ll briefly list a few forms of cerebral palsy treatment. Our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers have helped dozens of families secure the compensation necessary to afford the following treatment and therapy options. To learn more about the in-depth rehabilitative options available to CP patients, visit our full section on Treatments & Therapies.
- Adaptive equipment and assistive technologies
- Medications and surgery
- Physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy
- Recreational therapy and adaptive activities
- Conductive education
- Stem cell therapy
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
- Intensive suit therapy
- Complementary and alternative medicine and therapies
Cerebral Palsy and Medical Malpractice: Legal Help
Taylor Cerebral Palsy Lawyers and Attorneys
The costs and responsibilities of raising a child with cerebral palsy are significant. At Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys, our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers are dedicated to making sure you don’t have to shoulder the weight without help. Our legal team has decades of specific and extensive experience fighting for compensation from medical malpractice and understands the legal and medical intricacies of birth injury litigation. To receive a free legal consultation from one of our Taylor cerebral palsy lawyers, complete our online contact form or call us toll-free at (888) CP ATTY1.
In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about the specific cerebral palsy resources available to residents in Taylor by perusing the information on our Downriver Cerebral Palsy Resources page.