Cerebral Palsy Injury

Cerebral palsy, or CP, is a devastating diagnosis for any parent and any child.  It requires a lifetime of advanced care and therapy. It can be caused by medical malpractice, nursing malpractice, neonatal malpractice, labor and delivery complications, and certain prescription drugs, including anti-depressants.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

There are four types of cerebral palsy (CP):

•  Spastic
  
• • Children with the Spastic form of cerebral palsy often have muscle tone that is too high or tight, resulting in stiff and jerky movements. These children experience great difficulty in moving from one position to another or letting go of something they hold in their hands. This is the most common form of cerebral palsy.
    
    
  • Spastic Hemiplegia
    
  • • One side of the body is more affected than the other. It is generally accepted that injury to the left side of the brain affects the right side of the body, and injury to the right side of the brain affects the left side of the body.
      
      
  • Spastic Diplegia
    
  • • The lower body and legs are affected more than the arms and upper body. Complications include the ability to walk – usually more of a crouched form of walking. Problems with the hips, including dislocations, are common. Eye complications, including crossed eyes, are common. These children are also myopic, or nearsighted.
      
      
  • Spastic Quadriplegia
    
  • • What may be considered as the most devastating form of cerebral palsy, all parts of the body – legs and arms – are affected the same. The child is unable to move these limbs voluntarily or independently. There are numerous complications and problems associated with quadriplegia, including uncontrolled shaking or tremors, fluid building, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Bowel problems can be prevalent. Some children may have to be placed on a liquid diet, have a feeding tube placed, and have colostomy because of hardened bowel movements. The limbs atrophy, or waste away from non-use.
      
      
• Athetoid Cerebral Palsy | Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
  
• • Children who have trouble holding themselves in an upright, steady position, in everyday activities such as walking or sitting, are regarded as having the Athetoid form of cerebral palsy. These children often show a lot of movement of their face, arms, and upper body that they do not intend or purposely make – involuntary, hit and miss, movements. These types of movements can be big, so it takes a lot of concentration, focus, and training, to get their hand to a certain spot. Because of their mixed muscle tone and poor coordination, they may not be able to hold onto things, such as eating or writing utensils. Approximately one-quarter of cerebral palsy is this form.
    
    
• Ataxic
  
• • When the child has low or poor muscle tone and/or poor coordination, the CP condition is called Ataxic. These children often appear unsteady, or shaky. They may appear as though they have tremors, such as one may see in an elderly adult. These children often have poor balance and can be very unsteady as they walk.
    
    
• Mixed
  
• • Children who consistently experience a combination of the above symptoms or forms are designated as having mixed cerebral palsy. About one-quarter of all children with cerebral palsy are classified as having Mixed CP.

In addition the struggles with everyday life experienced by children suffering from CP, as well as those difficulties encountered by their caregivers, children having cerebral palsy are at higher risk of several additional problems:

• Arthritis
  
  
• Osteoporosis
  
  
• Muscle atrophy
  
  
• Eyesight difficulties
  
  
• Bowel and hygiene problems, leading to infection
  
  
• Bones are thinner and may be more susceptible to fractures
  
  
• Learning disabilities

Cerebral palsy is a permanent condition.  Providing a fulfilling and rewarding life to the child suffering from cerebral palsy or birth injury requires strong and routine therapy, early intervention, adaptive lifestyle changes, education, rehabilitation, and other involvements, which can help with the challenges faced by the child and parents.
 
This road -- trying to achieve as much normalcy as possible -- is very expensive, financially and emotionally. If the cause of your child’s cerebral palsy was birth trauma, oxygen deprivation, medical malpractice, midwife malpractice, nursing malpractice, or hospital malpractice, then you should act quickly to protect your rights as a parent and your child’s rights. Contact our personal injury lawyers.

Injury attorney David Hughes Harris has experience in handling birth injury and cerebral palsy cases, including his former service as defense counsel to top hospitals and doctors defending birth injury cases.

We're Here to Help - Throughout Florida and Beyond

For dedication and experience, contact our injury law firm.  We proudly serve deserving clients and their families who are seeking to overcome the challenges of serious personal injury and wrongful death throughout Florida and beyond in other States.

Locally, we are also proud to serve our neighbors throughout Southwest Florida, including those in Arcadia, Alva, Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Bradenton, Cape Coral, Charlotte County, Clewiston, Collier County, Desoto County, Englewood, Felda, Fort Myers, Ft. Myers, Glades County, Golden Gate, Hardee County, Hendry County, Highlands County, Immokalee, La Belle, Labelle, Lake Placid, Lee County, Lehigh, Lehigh Acres, Manatee County, Moore Haven, Naples, Nokomis, North Port, Osprey, Palmdale, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Sebring, Venice, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs.

We provide aggressive, prompt, and ethical advocacy on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury, accident injury, and wrongful death. Contact us today.

Your Values. Your Lawyer. Full Justice.^SM