Cerebral palsy is a brain injury that prevents the development of the communication and control centers connecting the brain to the body. It can take many forms and cause a range of symptoms, including difficulties speaking, walking, and controlling the hands. It is often accompanied by other impairments, such as autism.
Cerebral palsy and other birth injuries can happen for many reasons. Unfortunately, this neurological injury sometimes occurs when a medical provider fails to exercise due care during labor and delivery. If your child experiences medical malpractice in Miami, FL, Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers will fight for your child’s future.
Contact our law office in Miami at (305) 937-0191 for a free case review.
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How Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Birth Injury in Miami, FL
Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 2007 to represent injured clients in Miami, Florida, against those who injured them. Our Miami birth injury lawyers have over a century of combined legal experience fighting at-fault parties and insurers for fair compensation.
If you or your child suffer an injury due to someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions, our attorneys provide the following services:
- Review your case and explain your legal options
- Gather records and other evidence to support your case
- File an insurance claim and negotiate with adjusters to resolve it
- Litigate against insurers and at-fault parties that refuse a settlement
A birth injury can leave your child with disabilities that affect their ability to learn, work, or care for themselves. Contact our Miami personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to learn about the rights you and your child have to pursue compensation under Florida law.
How Often Do Birth Injuries Occur?
Birth injuries are surprisingly common. Roughly two out of every 1,000 live births will involve traumatic injuries to the baby. Many injuries involve superficial wounds, like bruises or scrapes from vacuum-assisted or forceps-assisted delivery.
A few will involve more serious injuries. Brain injuries can happen when the blood supply from the mother to the baby gets interrupted. For example, a compressed umbilical cord can deprive the baby’s brain of oxygen, leading to brain damage.
Bear in mind that not all adverse outcomes result from an injury. Many health conditions suffered by babies result from environmental or genetic causes rather than birth trauma. Cerebral palsy provides a good example of this. Although some cases of cerebral palsy result from medical malpractice, many cases are congenital.
Causes and Effects of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability suffered by babies. Roughly one out of every 345 children suffer from cerebral palsy. This disability affects the ability of the child’s brain to control the body’s muscles. It can have both voluntary and involuntary effects.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy takes four primary forms, and each form has different symptoms.
These forms include:
- Spastic cerebral palsy
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy
- Ataxic cerebral palsy
- Mixed cerebral palsy
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form. In this disorder, the brain causes the muscles to contract, producing stiff muscles and rigid movements. The child’s legs may be stiff or crossed, making it difficult to stand or walk.
Spastic cerebral palsy can also affect a child’s hands, arms, or face. These symptoms can cause difficulties with speaking and manual dexterity.
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy affects the brain’s ability to control the muscles. Children with this form of cerebral palsy may have random or uncontrolled movements.
Ataxic cerebral palsy affects the child’s balance and coordination. This type of cerebral palsy can interfere with the child’s ability to walk and perform fine motor movements, like writing.
Mixed cerebral palsy is when the child has symptoms of more than one of these types of cerebral palsy.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Researchers believe most cases of cerebral palsy are congenital, with only a small percentage resulting from medical malpractice. However, these cases do occur.
Some causes of traumatic cerebral palsy include the following:
- Lack of oxygen during delivery
- Head trauma during labor or delivery
- Brain injury during the first few months after birth
Cerebral palsy happens when the brain’s motor centers do not develop properly. In other words, cerebral palsy does not affect the child’s muscles — it affects the brain’s ability to control the muscles.
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the professional standard of care. Thus, medical malpractice does not happen every time an adverse outcome occurs. If the adverse event would have happened regardless of the doctor’s efforts, malpractice probably did not occur.
For example, cerebral palsy can result from an anoxic brain injury. These injuries happen when the baby’s oxygen supply gets interrupted. Suppose the doctor prescribed too much of an anesthetic, causing the mother’s oxygen levels and blood pressure to drop. Any resulting injury to the baby might have resulted from medical malpractice.
If your child suffers a birth injury from medical malpractice, you can seek injury compensation. This compensation can cover the child’s medical care, physical and mental therapy, and other caretaking expenses.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Miami Birth Injury Attorneys To Discuss a Potential Cerebral Palsy Claim
Birth injuries can present significant financial challenges to a family. Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your child’s injury and how we can help you seek financial compensation.