Monday, April 27, 2009

How to Select a Birth Injury Attorney for Cerebral Palsy cases

By Allen Batson

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder of the motor control systems of the brain. The vast majority of CP cases are caused by damage to the developing brain of the fetus, new born or toddler. The cerebrum, also called the telencephalon, and the diencephalon constitute the forebrain. The forebrain is just behind the forehead. Cerebral palsy suffers are afflicted with one or more of three classifications of uncontrolled muscle movements - spastic, ataxic or athetoid. Medical malpractice is frequently found to be the source of the damage to the cerebrum and for this reason birth injury attorneys are often retained to pursue damage claims for cerebral palsy victims.

Your birth injury lawyer will explain to you that damage to the motor control areas of the developing brain is the cause of cerebral palsy. While it is true that recent research indicates the brain does not completely finish development until the early twenties, the motor control areas mature by the age of four. 75% of CP cases are the result of damage suffered inutero, 5% during birth and 15% after birth but before the child's 4th birthday.

Cerebral palsy is permanent. There is no cure. The condition can only be managed, and management includes ongoing physical therapy and likely medical interventions. Other possible complications include the aforementioned epilepsy as well as cognition and communication problems and behavioral disorders. These are sometimes alleviated with therapy aimed at increasing communications skills.

For all of these reasons a competent, experienced birth injury attorney is vital if your child's CP was the result of medical malpractice.

The financial cost of care and lost income in caring for a person with mild CP over the course of their lifetime is nearly $1,000,000, according to a study done in 2003. For severe cases, that figure can triple.

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