The group of movement disorders collectively known as cerebral palsy is the result of brain injuries or brain malformations that may occur before, during, or after birth. When a child is diagnosed with birth injuries like cerebral palsy, the parents’ priorities are typically to figure out why this occurred and how they can help their child. Determining the underlying cause is particularly important because of the possibility of medical malpractice.

Brain damage and the resultant disorders may be caused by the disruption of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This causes the death of brain cells. For example, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is damage to the white matter of the brain. When PVL occurs, there is a disruption in the transmission of signals to the muscles from the brain, causing movement problems and also other developmental delays.

If your child was diagnosed with a birth injury and you’re looking for a lawyer near Long Island, New York, you can call the law office of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC at (516) 684-2900. A birth injury lawyer will help you explore your legal rights and options.

It can be devastating for parents to learn that their precious baby has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders and these disorders are incurable. Depending on the severity of the resultant impairments, individuals with cerebral palsy often require lifelong care. If your baby has been diagnosed with this disorder, consider speaking with a cerebral palsy lawyer. Certain birth injuries have been known to cause cerebral palsy.

Causes and Risk Factors
The underlying cause of cerebral palsy is a brain injury that usually occurs at or around the time of birth. This brain injury may occur during labor and delivery, such as when oxygen to the brain is cut off. Cerebral palsy has also been linked to maternal infections, fetal stroke, fetal infections, and gene mutations. The risk of cerebral palsy can increase if the mother does not receive appropriate prenatal care during pregnancy or if the case involves premature birth, breech birth, or pregnancy with multiples.

Motor Impairments
Children with cerebral palsy must be assessed individually, since the type and extent of the impairments can vary considerably from person to person. Typically, cerebral palsy involves muscle stiffness, exaggerated reflexes, impaired muscle coordination, and involuntary movements. Motor skill delays, crawling and walking difficulties, and the favoring of one side of the body are other possible indicators of cerebral palsy. In addition, children may have problems with fine motor skills, such as picking up and using a crayon or a fork.

Intellectual Disabilities
Some children with cerebral palsy only have movement impairment, while others also have intellectual disabilities. A child who has cognitive impairments may display delayed language development, impaired concentration, problems processing information, and problems expressing thoughts. These children may also have problems with memory, speech, sound recognition, and emotional regulation.

For more than 40 years, the team at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC has been defending the legal rights of families affected by birth injuries. If you feel you may have a birth injury case and live near Long Island, New York, call us today at (516) 684-2900. A cerebral palsy lawyer will carefully review your case and answer your questions at no charge.

After a birth trauma that results in cerebral palsy, parents face many choices in helping their children overcome obstacles caused by their disabilities. Medical equipment can help children with cerebral palsy in a number of different ways, including with mobility issues. In cases in which medical malpractice leads to a birth injury, your cerebral palsy lawyer can seek compensation for the future costs associated with this kind of medical equipment. Here are some of things parents of kids with cerebral palsy should consider when choosing and using medical equipment.

Choosing Equipment
Your child’s doctor and/or a physical therapist will play a central role in working with you to select the right medical equipment for your child. Often, the doctor will refer you to a representative for a provider for a piece of equipment that may benefit your child, and that representative will evaluate your child’s case and make a recommendation based on your child’s specific needs. Some of the things that should be considered when choosing equipment for your child are expectations for growth and function, your child’s need for body and head support, his or her history of pressure sores, and whether manual or powered equipment is best. Your budget and preferences are also considerations that will help to shape the final decision.

Using Equipment
When your child gets new medical equipment, it is helpful to attend any training sessions provided by the company or recommended by the doctor, or a therapist. Know who to call when you have questions, and alert your doctor if you are not getting the expected functionality out of any equipment you choose. Adaptions may be necessary to meet the particular needs of your child.

Birth injuries are life altering for a child and also a family, but Pegalis & Erickson, LLC is here to help you get the assistance and compensation you deserve for your child, and to help you take care of your child’s special needs. Talk to a birth injury lawyer in Long Island today by calling (516) 684-2900.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that hinders body movement and muscle coordination. It is most often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain or body during labor or childbirth and can be a result of medical malpractice. Cerebral palsy is considered a birth injury because it is often linked the following preventable problems:

Untreated Health Issues in the Mother
The mother’s health is essential to the wellbeing of the child. If doctors fail to detect and treat health problems such as infections and diabetes in the mother during pregnancy, it can have devastating effects on the child.

Inadequate Monitoring of Fetal Condition
Just as the mother needs to be monitored during pregnancy and childbirth, the baby does as well. If doctors neglect to monitor the child’s heartbeat or detect a prolapsed umbilical cord, there is a chance for preventable brain trauma to occur.

Failure to Perform Necessary Procedures
In some cases the baby is too large to safely pass through the birth canal, requiring a cesarean section. If the doctor delays or fails to perform a medically necessary cesarean section, the child can experience irreversible brain damage.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy you can contact a cerebral palsy lawyer in Long Island to discuss the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Please contact Pegalis & Erickson at (516) 684-2900 or online to schedule a consultation.

Cerebral palsy is often thought of as being a disease. In fact, it’s a group of disorders that can involve a range of symptoms and impairments related to nerve functions such as movement. Cerebral palsy can range in severity from mild to debilitating, often children with this disorder often require intensive and ongoing care. When cerebral palsy is the result of medical malpractice, parents may choose to consult a lawyer to discuss filing a lawsuit. Compensation from a jury award or settlement can help parents make sure their children receive the lifelong care they need.

Myth: Cerebral Palsy is Not Preventable
It’s true that cerebral palsy is not always preventable. However, sometimes cerebral palsy is the result of medical errors committed by negligent healthcare providers. For example, a healthcare provider may fail to detect a serious maternal health problem, such asgestational diabetes, or a pregnancy-induced hypertensions. Each of these conditions can result in the brain damage that is characteristic of cerebral palsy. This disorder can also result from trauma during labor and delivery. The baby may also become deprived of oxygen, which causes brain damage. The risk of this complication is greater when a healthcare provider fails to notice signs of fetal distress.

Myth: All Children with Cerebral Palsy Have Communication Deficits
Many children with cerebral palsy do have difficulty with communication. However, a speech therapist can help them improve their skills. A speech therapist can show children how to use alternative communication methods, such as sign language, communication boards or cards, and electronic devices.

Myth: Nothing Can be Done to Ease the Financial Burden of Living with Cerebral Palsy
Another common myth about cerebral palsy is that children with serious deficits can never become independent, productive members of society. Children with severe impairments will indeed require lifelong care. Such care is very expensive. A jury award can help ease the financial burden families face when seeking lifelong care for their children.

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you deserve to know the reasons why. At Pegalis & Erickson, our medical malpractice lawyers in Long Island, New York can thoroughly investigate your case to determine if medical malpractice led to your child’s birth injuries and cerebral palsy diagnosis. For more information, call (516) 684-2900 or visit us on the Web.

Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders caused by damage to the brain while it is still developing. There are many possible causes of cerebral palsy. However, it can also be caused by acts of medical malpractice. For example, a doctor may fail to react properly to signs that the baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen, which causes brain damage and subsequently, cerebral palsy. The symptoms and complications of cerebral palsy vary widely in type and severity; some children require intensive care throughout their lifetime.

Develop a Therapy Plan
When your child is first diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to help him or her. By working with a pediatrician and other healthcare specialists, you can begin to develop a plan of action. Each child with cerebral palsy has unique needs. Learn about your child’s strengths and challenges. Your child’s therapists can help you learn how to help your child develop important life skills.

Consult a Brain Injury Lawyer
Specialized medical treatment and therapy sessions for children with cerebral palsy can be prohibitively expensive, and quite often, health insurance doesn’t cover everything a family will need. If there’s a possibility that your child may have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of a doctor’s negligence, you can consult a medical malpractice lawyer. If you have a strong basis for a lawsuit, you can seek NEVER SAY DEMAND PLEASE compensation from the hospital or doctor responsible, which can help you meet your child’s lifelong needs.

Join a Support Group
Many families of children with cerebral palsy find that joining a support group helps them cope with stress. By joining a group specifically for family members affected by cerebral palsy, you can learn about coping techniques, new research developments in the field, and local resources that can help support your family.

At Pegalis & Erickson, our legal team is dedicated to helping families obtain the financial compensation they deserve to recover from medical malpractice. You can speak with a cerebral palsy lawyer in Long Island, New York to discuss your legal rights and options. Call us at (516) 684-2900 for more information.

Cerebral palsy isn’t one specific disorder; rather, it’s a group of disorders that affect an individual’s ability to control movement. The signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy are typically noticeable early in a child’s life. Sometimes, cerebral palsy is not preventable. However, in some cases, it may be the result of avoidable birth injuries, a form of medical malpractice. Parents can learn more about the causes and risk factors of cerebral palsy, and should question the cause or causes of their child’s diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Causes
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the baby’s brain. There are many possible causes of brain damage, which may be inflicted during pregnancy, during labor and delivery, and shortly after birth. For example, a baby may suffer brain damage from an infection of the mother during pregnancy. Obstetricians are responsible for evaluating the health of expectant mothers, but sometimes, mistakes are made. Other possible causes include jaundice of the newborn and severe oxygen deprivation to the brain of the baby, which can occur during labor and delivery. Attending medical staff should closely monitor the fetal heartrate and recommend a C-section if signs of fetal distress are noticed. If the medical team is negligent in performing its duties, the baby can suffer oxygen deprivation and subsequently be diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This can constitute a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Complications
Cerebral palsy causes lifelong disability to varying degrees. Children may suffer from muscle rigidity or muscle floppiness. They may display lack of muscle coordination, difficulty walking, and involuntary movements. Problems with swallowing, difficulty eating, and speech delays are also common. Additionally, children with cerebral palsy may have trouble with fine motor skills. They are at a higher risk of suffering from lung disease, neurological conditions, and malnutrition.

All children deserve the chance to lead happy, productive lives, but birth injuries can sometimes prevent this. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you can contact a cerebral palsy lawyer in Long Island, New York to discuss the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Parents can contact Pegalis & Erickson at (516) 684-2900 for their free, no-obligation consultation.