Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Attorney

Hemiplegic cerebral palsy is a form of cerebral palsy that disrupts movement to the entire side of a person’s body, rendering the person paralyzed on the affected side.

This condition is usually the result of a severe injury during delivery or shortly thereafter but there are additional causes that may contribute to the condition within the first months of a child’s life.

It is important to determine the exact cause of an injury that results in cerebral palsy so that if negligence was a factor, you can seek compensation from the responsible parties for the treatment and care your child will require for the rest of his or her life.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

If the doctor has committed medical negligence, they can be held legally responsible for your child's hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

We are hemiplegic cerebral palsy lawyers who help clients when they need to file lawsuits against medical professionals.

Call our law firm today to discuss birth injury malpractice cases. We can help you recover damages if the doctor was at fault.

Causes of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Hemiplegia is caused by an injury to one side of the brain, and the area affected by the injury is on the opposite side of the area injured, so if the injury occurred to the right side of the brain, the child will experience paralysis on his or her left side.

The development of this condition is primarily linked to severe forms of trauma but not all cases are the result of a physical injury.

Common causes of hemiplegic cerebral palsy include the following.

• Hemorrhaging at the time of birth — a condition known as intraventricular hemorrhaging is linked to hemiplegia and often occurs during premature births. The hemorrhaging occurs when blood finds its way into the fluid filled areas of the brain and the resulting swelling is what causes the injury.
• Perinatal injuries — injuries sustained in the weeks leading up to and following the birth of a child have an increased impact on the chances of causing brain damage or severe trauma. If the child is injured following a successful delivery, the injuries can result in conditions similar to and including cerebral palsy.
• Traumatic brain injury — assisted delivery devices place an extreme amount of pressure on the child’s brain and head during delivery and their misuse can result in severe trauma to the brain. The resulting swelling, hemorrhaging and elevated bilirubin levels all contribute to the development of cerebral palsy.
• Infections — in some cases, the brain suffers damage due to an infection shortly after birth. The most common forms of infections that contribute to hemiplegic cerebral palsy are meningitis, encephalitis and subdural empyema.
• Vasculitis — this condition causes the inflammation of major blood vessels and leads to swelling inside of the brain and affects the areas responsible for motor function and balance.
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation — if a child’s heart or lungs are underdeveloped or have not formed properly, this treatment is used to circulate blood through the baby’s body through the use of an artificial lung until the child can receive a heart or lung transplant. The treatment does not come without risks and these risks include the formation of blood clots, infections and uncontrollable bleeding, which may all damage the brain.

Some Statistics About Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Here are some relevant facts and statistics about hemiplegic cerebral palsy that you should know about:

• Hemiplegic cerebral palsy is one of the more common forms of the disease. Roughly 40% of CP cases are of this form.
• There have been numerous seven-figure settlements for cases of hemiplegic CP over the years.
• Treatment costs for hemiplegic CP can exceed $1 million.
• The prevalence of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy is roughly 1 in every 1,400

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Can Be Medical Malpractice

Families will often file a medical malpractice lawsuit when their child has been diagnosed with this form of spastic cerebral palsy.

This is often a birth injury as many of the causes of cerebral palsy happen when the doctor does not provide the proper care to the mother either before or during the delivery.

Oftentimes, birth injuries occur when the doctor delays in performing c-section delivery or fails to notice risk factors that could cause trauma during the delivery.

Common Symptoms of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

The primary indicator of hemiplegia is that the injury has only affected one side of the body while the other develops and responds normally.

When evaluating whether children have cerebral palsy, doctors instruct parents to observe the children for behaviors or visual signs that may indicate the need for further testing.

The signs and symptoms of hemiplegia include the following.

• Abnormal muscle tone on one side of the body — in some cases, muscles appear rigid or overly tense while in others the muscles are weak and loose. The corresponding muscles on the side opposite of those affected will show a marked contrast as they are unaffected and develop normally.
• The use of only one hand — children with hemiplegia will only be able to use one hand or may greatly favor one hand over the other. Other signs include the constant balling up of one hand into a fist and not releasing it.
• Poor balance and coordination — it will be difficult for children affected by hemiplegia to crawl, sit up, stand or walk. Signs include falling behind peers who have already accomplished similar tasks such as taking first steps and beginning to walk and favoring one side of the body whenever moving.
• Diminished fine motor skills — fine motor skills affect the ability to perform precise movements that often involve smaller muscles or groups of muscles such as tasks that require the use of fingers to grip onto and hold objects.
• Vision and hearing impairment — the brain may have difficulty controlling one eye and this can impact sight and the ability to focus vision. Problems with hearing often accompany cerebral palsy as well.
• Speech and language — oral motor skills required to form sounds and words may be affected by the injury, making it difficult to learn how to speak or communicate.
• Epilepsy — while not directly related to cerebral palsy, about half of those diagnosed suffer from varying degrees of epilepsy. This results from a traumatic brain injury. Not all seizures are physical in nature and some may result in blackouts, cause headaches or affect the ability to concentrate.
• Learning disabilities — whenever a child sustains an injury to the brain, it is possible to develop some form of learning disability. These disabilities are not directly the result of hemiplegic cerebral palsy but often accompany the condition and can be mild or severe. This can include difficulty remembering and memorizing things.

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Can Be a Lifetime Struggle

One of the symptoms of hemiplegic cerebral palsy is difficulty with executive functioning. As the child grows to become an adult, they may have trouble setting and sticking to a routine.

They may even have some ADHD-type symptoms that can cause them difficulty concentrating. As you can imagine, this could impact their ability to have a career or hold down a job.

Therefore, any hemiplegic cerebral palsy lawsuit could seek compensation for lost earnings as this is likely to happen in the future.

How Is Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed?

There is no one test on the child's body that could diagnose hemiplegic cerebral palsy. However, hemiplegic cp is a type of the disease that is relatively easier to diagnose than other forms.

Oftentimes, doctors will run MRIs and brain scans to confirm their initial diagnosis.

Treatment for Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Early intervention is best for a child who suffers from this form of cerebral palsy.

The child's doctor should work with a medical treatment team to come up with the best plan for the child.

Some types of treatment that can help include:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Sensory integration
• Strength training
• Surgery

Hemiplegic cerebral palsy is not a degenerative condition, and it will not get worse over the child's lifetime. It can get better with therapy and treatment, but this is expensive.

As you can see, the medical expenses of hemiplegic cerebral palsy can be considerable.

In some cases, this could be a million dollar obligation. If the child is non-ambulatory, the treatment costs could exceed $50,000 each year. This is why you need help for the medical bills.

Attorneys Helping Families File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit for Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Cases

If your child has been diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, you are undoubtedly experiencing many emotions and in need of answers.

The Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help you find out the exact cause of your child’s injury and determine who is responsible so that you may secure the compensation required to provide a lifetime of care and support.

Call us today or fill out a contact form to schedule a free consultation so that we can answer your questions, perform a thorough investigation and explore your legal options together. We are experienced lawyers who can give you legal advice about a potential case against a doctor or other medical professional.

Our cerebral palsy attorneys are only compensated when we have successfully secured compensation on our clients’ behalf and if we should fail to help you do the same, our services will be free of charge.