Charlottesville Cerebral Palsy Attorney
Giving birth to a baby that has any type of injury or illness can be more than upsetting – it’s often tragic for parents. At the law office of MichieHamlett, our lawyers understand that of all the birth injury types, cerebral palsy is one of the most severe and concerning. If you believe that your child’s cerebral palsy could have been prevented but for a doctor’s mistake, you may have a birth injury claim. Our Charlottesville cerebral palsy attorneys can help you to understand how to prove medical malpractice and what your rights are. Call us today to learn more.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Affecting muscle tone and posture, cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders. In addition to impacting muscle tone and posture, the condition is often associated with other disorders and complications, including intellectual disability, seizures, hearing and vision problems, and joint problems. What’s more, complications of cerebral palsy include, but are not limited to, mental health disorders such as depression, heart and lung disease, osteoarthritis, premature aging, and more.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
It can be difficult to say exactly what caused a specific child’s cerebral palsy. Some of the risk factors for cerebral palsy include:
- Certain maternal health conditions, such as Zika virus infection;
- Infant illness, including bleeding in the brain and severe and untreated jaundice; and
- Premature birth, low birth weight, having multiple babies in one pregnancy, and other birth factors.
The above factors can impact the development of a fetus’s or child’s brain, or cause damage to a developing brain, which can lead to cerebral palsy. While some of the above factors may be impossible for a doctor to prevent, others are not. For example, a doctor who detects low fetal oxygen levels towards the end of gestation may perform an emergency C-section in order to reduce the risk of brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation. Or, a doctor can ensure that a pregnant mother receives proper treatment and monitoring in order to reduce the risk of complications and cerebral palsy.
Was Medical Malpractice to Blame?
A doctor has a duty to treat patients with a high standard of care. For pregnant mothers, fetuses, and newly born babies, this means monitoring, attention, and quick action when a problem is detected. If a doctor’s failure to provide the proper degree of care led to cerebral palsy or increased the risk of cerebral palsy, they might be held liable for the damages a family incurs as a result.
Call Our Charlottesville Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Today
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, there is no doubt that life will forever be changed. Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy can be challenging and expensive. When you meet with our Charlottesville cerebral palsy attorneys at the law office of MichieHamlett, our lawyers can review your case free of charge and, if you decide to work with us, fight for you on a contingency fee basis. To learn more about your rights and legal options, please get in touch with our law firm today.
