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Tampa Cerebral Palsy Lawyers
Strong advocacy when Florida pregnancy and delivery doctors cause your child to be born with cerebral palsy
Obstetricians and other members of your baby’s health delivery team know that cerebral palsy is a possible danger. At MattLaw, our medical malpractice lawyers understand what steps your delivery doctors should have taken to anticipate what can cause cerebral palsy, monitor the conditions to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy and respond promptly when the danger of cerebral palsy is immediate. Our Tampa cerebral palsy lawyers have the experience and medical relationships to show why your healthcare providers should be held accountable and the amount of damages they should pay. Call us today to protect your child’s future.
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- What is cerebral palsy?
- What are the signs and symptoms that your newborn has cerebral palsy?
- What medical mistakes cause cerebral palsy in Tampa?
- How is cerebral palsy diagnosed in Tampa?
- What are the treatments for cerebral palsy in Tampa?
- Who is responsible for my child’s cerebral palsy condition?
- What is the statute of limitations for filing a cerebral palsy claim in Florida?
- Do you have a Tampa, Florida cerebral palsy lawyer near me?
What is cerebral palsy?
According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy is a collection of conditions caused by damage to a developing brain that affects movement and posture. The symptoms occur during infancy or preschool years. Generally, cerebral palsy (CP) causes exaggerated reflexes, stiff muscles (called spasticity), and floppy arms and legs. CP can make swallowing difficult. The effects of CP differ depending on the severity of your child’s disorder. While there is generally no cure, treatments can help with various functions. Generally, the severity of your child’s cerebral palsy stays the same over time.
Merck Manuals states that CP usually becomes apparent by age two. “CP occurs in 2 to 3/1000 live births. The highest prevalence, 111.8/1000 live births, occurs in preterm infants < 28 weeks gestation.”
According to Merck Manuals, CP is generally categorized as follows:
- Spastic CP. More than 80% of CP people with CP have spastic CP.
- “Spasticity is a state of resistance to passive range of motion; resistance increases with increasing speed of that motion. It is due to upper motor neuron involvement and may mildly or severely affect motor function. Spastic CP may cause hemiplegia, quadriplegia, diplegia, or paraplegia.”
- Athetoid CP or dyskinetic CP. This type of CP, the second most common type, occurs in about 15% of all cases. It results from “basal ganglia involvement.”
- Ataxic CP. This type of CPis “rare and results from involvement of the cerebellum or its pathways.”
Your child may have mixed CP, which is normally a combination of spasticity and one other form of CP.
What are the signs and symptoms that your newborn has cerebral palsy?
The symptoms of cerebral palsy, according to the Mayo Clinic, are:
- Movement and coordination. Your child may experience stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity), stiff or floppy muscle tone, lack of balance, tremors, favoring one side of the body, difficulty walking, and trouble with fine motor skills such as using utensils and buttoning clothes.
- Speech and eating. Your child may have difficulty speaking, eating, and swallowing.
- Some children with cerebral palsy need more time to sit and crawl. They may have many learning and intellectual disabilities. The growth of children with CP may be delayed.
- Other symptoms. Our Tampa cerebral palsy lawyers will review all your child’s symptoms, including:
- The possibility your child may be diagnosed with epilepsy and suffer seizures
- Have difficulty hearing
- Vision difficulty
- Pain or problems feeling sensations such as touch.
- Urinary continence and other bladder problems
- Constipation and other bowel problems
- Emotional and behavioral challenges
While the symptoms don’t normally worsen with age, as your child ages, some symptoms might become more or less clear. “Muscle shortening and muscle rigidity can worsen if not treated aggressively.”
How is cerebral palsy diagnosed in Tampa?
Cerebral palsy can take a few months or even a year to diagnose. The following tests are used to diagnose cerebral palsy:
- Reviewing your child’s symptoms and medical history
- Monitoring your child’s growth and development
- Being examined by pediatric neurologists, child development specialists, rehabilitation specialists, and other pediatric specialists
- Diagnostic tests are often used to eliminate other causes. These tests include:
- Brain scans. These tests include using an MRI to identify changes in your child’s brain and a cranial ultrasound, which “uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the brain.”
- Electroencephalogram (EEG). This test is used if your child is experiencing or may have seizures. An EEG “records the electrical activity of your child's brain.”
- Laboratory tests. Blood, skin, and urine tests may be “used to screen for genetic or metabolic conditions.
- Other tests. These tests include vision, hearing, speech, movement, development, and other tests.
If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the level of the CP may be evaluated with the Gross Motor Function Classification System. This test measures function, mobility, balance, and posture – to assess your child’s mobility challenges and what mobility aids may help.
What medical mistakes cause cerebral palsy in Tampa?
Delivery doctors should understand when and how CP occurs during the delivery and what steps to take to prevent it from occurring. Our Tampa cerebral palsy lawyers review every step of the delivery with our network of obstetricians, neurologists, and other physicians to show why the medical providers who delivered your child should be held accountable if your child develops cerebral palsy.
Some of the reasons healthcare providers may be liable for your child’s cerebral palsy, according to the American Pregnancy Association, include the failure to assess, monitor, and treat the following dangers:
- Infections during pregnancy. “Certain infections in the mother, including rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus (a usually mild viral infection) and toxoplasmosis (a usually mild parasitic infection) can cause brain damage and result in cerebral palsy.”
- “Premature babies who weigh less than 3 1/3 pounds are up to 30 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than full-term babies.”
- Insufficient oxygen reaching the fetus. “When the placenta is not functioning properly, or it tears away from the wall of the uterus before delivery; the fetus may not receive sufficient oxygen.”
- Asphyxia during labor and delivery. Delivery doctors must monitor the amount of oxygen a fetus is receiving during labor and delivery. A lack of oxygen can cause CP.
- Blood Diseases. “Rh disease, an incompatibility between the blood of the mother and her fetus, can cause severe jaundice and brain damage, resulting in cerebral palsy.”
- Other causes. These include severe jaundice, other birth defects, and acquired cerebral palsy. “About 10 percent of children with cerebral palsy acquire it after birth due to brain injuries that occur during the first two years of life. The most common causes of such injuries are brain infections, such as meningitis, and head injuries.”
What are the treatments for cerebral palsy in Tampa?
There currently is no cure for cerebral palsy. At MattLaw, our birth injury lawyers work with our own network of cerebral palsy doctors and life planners to explain the full range of treatments your child will need, the different types of medical specialists and therapists he/she will need to see, and the challenges your child will face – for the rest of their lives.
The treatments for cerebral palsy include:
- Medications. Doctors may prescribe medicines to lessen muscle tightness and improve functional abilities. Medications may also target pan and spasticity complications. These medications include:
- Muscle or nerve injections
- Oral muscle relaxants
- Medicines to reduce drooling.
- Therapies. Cerebral palsy therapies include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Surgical procedures. “Surgery may be needed to lessen muscle tightness or correct bone changes caused by spasticity.” These surgeries include:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Cutting nerve fibers, known as selective dorsal rhizotomy
Other treatments may be used for seizures, pain, osteoporosis, mental health conditions, and “sleep, oral health, feeding and nutrition, bladder incontinence, vision, or hearing.” Additional treatments will be necessary when your child becomes an adult.
Many children with CP and their families also benefit from various social, educational, and other support services, such as United Cerebral Palsy of Tampa.
Who is responsible for my child’s cerebral palsy condition?
Our Tampa cerebral palsy lawyers file medical malpractice claims against all responsible healthcare providers, including:
- Gynecologists
- Obstetricians
- Hospitals
- Nurses
- All other members of the delivery team
At MattLaw, we have the experience and resources to show what medical mistakes your healthcare providers made. We demand compensation for all your damages, including:
- The cost of medical care for the rest of your child’s life
- Your child’s lifetime of pain and suffering
- Your child’s inability to function and fully enjoy life’s pleasure
- Special education costs
- Your financial losses because you can’t work due to the need to care for your child
- The cost of home accommodations
What is the statute of limitations for filing a cerebral palsy claim in Florida?
Generally, you have up to two years from the date of the malpractice (such as the date of the delivery) to file your claim on behalf of your child. The timeliness of your claim may be shorter than you think because the date of the malpractice may be before the delivery, and you may not become aware that your child has CP until months or longer after the delivery.
We strongly recommend that you make an appointment with us as soon as possible.
Do you have a Tampa, Florida cerebral palsy lawyer near me?
MattLaw meets parents and newborns at our Tampa, Florida office located at 304 S Plant Ave., Tampa, FL 33606. We also have an office in St. Petersburg. When necessary, we meet parents and children at their homes and healthcare facilities. We also discuss cases by phone and through online conferences.
We understand how anxious and worried you are. We’re ready to answer your questions and guide you calmly and clearly through the claims process.
Talk with our experienced Tampa, Florida cerebral palsy lawyers today
The doctors and hospitals who committed medical malpractice will have high-priced lawyers on their side. You need experienced lawyers who have the reputation and record of results to fight the insurance carriers and defense lawyers. Call MattLaw now or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. Our Tampa medical malpractice lawyers represent birth injury clients on a contingency fee basis.