Your Child Was Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy: Now What?
A cerebral palsy diagnosis is a lifetime condition and there is no cure. However, cerebral palsy can be prevented. This problem often occurs because of medical negligence or birth injury. A poorly timed C-section, inadequate prenatal care, distraction – any of these situations can lead to the devastating diagnosis of cerebral palsy. It’s happened to your family – now what do you do?
Your Life Has Changed Forever
Whether your child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis comes immediately or weeks or months after their birth, the fact is this: You prepared for an infant to enter your lives, but you did not prepare for a handicapped infant to join your family.
The care that a baby with cerebral palsy requires is significant, costly, time-consuming, and exhausting for all parties involved. Your child will never have an easy path through life, though there are varying degrees of severity when it comes to cerebral palsy. Some children have mild cerebral palsy and they can function well with therapy and successfully travel through school, higher education, relationships, having a family, career, and hobbies.
Other cases of CP are far more severe. As children, some people with CP require round-the-clock care. They may need special schooling and ongoing therapy and medical appointments. They may need expensive equipment like wheelchairs, adapted vehicles, communication devices, and more. As adults, people with a severe case of CP will not be able to live alone or function independently like other adults.
The Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis
Getting a diagnosis of cerebral palsy for your child is heart wrenching. The immediate shock is difficult enough. And, inevitably, you will think of all the battles that lie ahead and worry for your child – even the simplest milestones will be difficult to achieve, social engagement will be an uphill climb in an uninformed and intolerant society, schooling will be a challenge.
The most severe cases of CP can sometimes be diagnosed shortly after birth. Other cases take a few years to be confirmed, as a child’s development and progress are monitored closely to determine if there are any lags in growth, reflexes, communicating, motor skills, and the hallmark of CP, the tremors.
Should You Sue for Medical Negligence?
A cerebral palsy diagnosis can be so earth-shattering that what is often foremost in a parent’s mind is figuring out how your family is going to cope with this unexpected medical complication. You may not think about your right to hold the responsible parties accountable. But you do have that right.
If you have considered filing a birth injury lawsuit because of your child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis, it’s important to know what is possible for your family. You should be compensated for this life-altering diagnosis, and the hefty financial burden that accompanies it. A successful cerebral palsy medical malpractice lawsuit can compensate for immediate and ongoing medical costs, in-home care, regular therapy, special education, special accommodations in adulthood, and lost wages for caretakers.
The most important thing you can do if you have a child who has a cerebral palsy diagnosis because of medical negligence is consult with a Michigan birth injury lawyer to learn more about the statute of limitations and whether it’s too late for you to file a lawsuit. Contact Thurswell Law for a free consultation with one of our experienced, knowledgeable, and successful birth injury attorneys. We do not charge any fees unless you collect. Call (248) 354-2222 today.
