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$3 million settlement for a delay in delivering a distressed fetus. The Firm sued a local Delaware County hospital for a newborn that developed Cerebral Palsy (CP) as a result of a delayed birth. The fetal heart monitoring strips showed that the baby was in distress from the time the mother arrived at the hospital. The mother was of advanced maternal age and had several miscarriages prior to her admission and numerous complications during her pregnancy. After discovery was completed, Dion Rassias was able to settle the case for $3 million, and ensured that this child had proper money management,.
All types of cerebral palsy (CP) involve some level of abnormal muscle tone, motor coordination, reflexes or motor development. As an infant with cerebral palsy becomes a toddler and attempts to walk, he or she may be slowed down by an unsteady gait, wobbling, walking on the toes, or "scissor walking," where the knees cross over each other. Before a child is diagnosed with CP, they may be diagnosed with developmental delay, motor dysfunction or disability, neuromotor delay or dysfunction, central nervous system dysfunction or static encephalopathy.
If these signs and symptoms are present, it is advised that you get a second opinion on your infant's health. You are facing years of medical treatments, speech therapy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy if your child has CP. Get the help of our skilled Philadelphia cerebral palsy attorneys. We won $15 million in verdicts for cerebral palsy cases in 2012 alone and have been awarded hundreds of millions in birth injury cases since 1958. You may be eligible for compensation to help pay for ongoing medical treatments or therapies if your child's CP was caused by medical malpractice or a birth injury.
There is no single cause of cerebral palsy. The condition results from damage to, or abnormal development of, the parts of the brain that control movement, and that damage can happen before, during, or shortly after birth. Some cases are congenital, linked to factors like genetic abnormalities, maternal infections, or stroke in the developing baby. Others are tied to premature birth, low birth weight, or complications such as oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery.
Because cerebral palsy symptoms often don't become clear until months after birth, many parents never learn whether a medical error played a role. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you have questions about what happened during pregnancy or delivery, our medical/legal team can review the relevant records and help you understand whether malpractice may have been a factor.
We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for children with cerebral palsy and their families, including numerous seven and eight figure recoveries. Our team has also won two of the largest medical negligence judgments in Pennsylvania history, at $100 million and $55 million.
As a firm, one of the most rewarding aspects of our jobs is to help families that are struggling with the pressure and stress of having a child with cerebral palsy. Our Philadelphia birth injury lawyers can come alongside your family and fight for the compensation you need to meet the needs of your child. We work with medical experts to establish fault and work around the clock in order to prepare your case for trial. Our hard work has resulted in $2 billion in settlements and verdicts on behalf of our clients, many of whom were dealing with infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Begin your case today by calling (215) 866-2424 for a free case evaluation. We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won't pay any legal fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf!
Not sure what your child's symptoms mean? If you have questions about your child's cerebral palsy diagnosis or suspect that a mistake during pregnancy or delivery played a role, we can help.
Cerebral palsy greatly affects physical development and performance. Some newborns or infants may not show signs of cerebral palsy right away. In fact, it can take months to start seeing developmental delays. Usually, CP starts to become evident to the parents or the pediatrician around seven to nine months of age when babies start to move around or crawl. Instead, spasms, involuntary muscle movements, or problems with balance become apparent.
When a pediatrician, neurologist, or doctor sees that a child has developmental delays or other neurological problems, they may order additional testing such as a head ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or a magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI's) to rule out other brain abnormalities that could cause the same symptoms as cerebral palsy.
If the child does have CP, the MRI will help show the doctor exactly where and how much of the baby's brain is damaged. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the sooner the infant can start receiving the necessary physical therapy, occupational therapy, and medical treatments to maximize their level of functioning.
The speech and language problems common in children with cerebral palsy are usually due to muscle problems in the mouth, jaw or face. Three different types of dysarthria, or difficulty in speaking and articulating, are commonly seen in children with CP:
These speech problems can be lessened with the help of proper speech therapy. Our Philadelphia cerebral palsy lawyers consider speech problems and every other aspect of your case when fighting for just compensation for your child's past, present, and future medical needs.
You don't need to know whether malpractice occurred to ask the question. If your child is showing cerebral palsy symptoms, think back to their birth and run through this quick checklist. If any of these sound familiar, it may be worth having someone look into whether your child's cerebral palsy was caused by a birth injury:
A failure to diagnose can qualify as medical malpractice when a reasonably careful doctor would have caught the problem and the delay caused harm. For example, if a baby's heart rate showed signs of distress during labor and the delivery team missed it or failed to act, the resulting oxygen deprivation could lead to brain injury. It generally isn't malpractice when the warning signs weren't there to detect, or when an earlier diagnosis wouldn't have changed your child's outcome.
Cerebral palsy can't be cured, but it is treatable, and the right care can make a significant difference in a child's mobility, independence, and quality of life. Cerebral palsy treatment often combines physical, occupational, and speech therapy with medications, assistive devices, and sometimes surgery. Starting therapy early tends to lead to the best outcomes, which is why an early diagnosis matters.
No. Some cases of cerebral palsy stem from brain damage or abnormal brain development that occurs before birth, and some develop after birth from causes like infections or head injuries. However, complications during labor and delivery, such as oxygen deprivation, are a known cause. There are some conditions affecting a newborn's brain can also be linked to cerebral palsy. Any concern for hydrocephaly should be raised with your child's doctor right away.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.