Gault v. Norwood: 2nd largest medical malpractice verdict in history. Famous heart surgeon William Norwood performed an unauthorized surgical procedure on Stephen Gault, rendering him severely brain damaged and in permanent need of lifelong care. Norwood operated on a healthy baby's narrow aorta, but performed an unnecessary procedure, stopping the baby's heart and blood flow. Cooling the body too quickly caused irreversible brain damage, leaving the child unable to walk, talk, or care for himself. The $55 million verdict allowed Gault's family to provide him the care he needed.
Spastic Diplegia is a form of cerebral palsy (CP) where both the arms and the legs are affected with abnormal stiffness or tightness. Usually, the legs or lower extremities are affected more than the upper extremities or arms. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of CP, affecting almost 70% of all cerebral palsy cases. At The Beasley Firm, we have extensive experience in handling birth injury cases such as these. In fact our skilled Philadelphia cerebral palsy lawyers have won several cases on behalf of infants diagnosed with forms of CP, including two $3 million settlements for the families of infants who developed CP due to medical negligence. We have been awarded verdicts of $15 million in cerebral palsy cases in 2012 alone. In each of our cases, we go to great lengths to gather evidence, expert testimony, hospital records and more to prepare the case for trial.
We are driven, successful and reliable. With over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements since 1958, you can be sure our firm will fight to maximize your compensation. Call us at (215) 866-2424.
The brain damage in spastic cerebral palsy occurs around the ventricles in the brain. Usually, a lack of oxygen to that area of the brain causes a failure in the part of the brain known as the pyramidal tracts. An MRI can detect those brain-damaged areas, known as periventricular leukomalcia (PVL). Spastic CP causes an increased muscle tone or muscle tension. Usually, muscles work in pairs. As one group of muscles contract, an opposite set of muscles relax, allowing movement. Due to the PVL brain damage, the muscles in a person with spastic CP all work at the same time, causing spastic or tense muscles movement.
Spastic CP results in the following symptoms:
Children who are born with spastic CP do not have deformities in the bones of the legs, but over time, due to the tight and spastic muscles they go on to develop orthopedic problems. Spastic CP leads to a reduction in normal joint movement, longitudinal muscle growth, and protein production in muscle cells. The lack of movement or stretching also leads to the development of muscle and joint deformities.
Treatment for spastic CP is usually centered on daily muscle stretching, range of motion exercises, modern dance, yoga, resistance training, and other physical movement exercises to help prevent joint contractures and other orthopedic problems. The medical costs for children diagnosed with spastic CP can be overwhelming. If your child has suffered spastic CP due to medical negligence of any kind, it is imperative that you pursue compensation that will enable you to get the care your child needs and deserves. Our talented team of Philadelphia birth injury lawyers work around-the-clock in order to obtain successful results for our clients. For over 60 years, The Beasley Firm has worked hard to establish the history of success and legal expertise that gives our clients peace of mind. We are listed in the Best Law Firms and our attorneys are recognized in the Super Lawyers® list for their outstanding work. You can trust your child's future to our firm.
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