A cerebral palsy diagnosis can be devastating. When caused by medical negligence, a knowledgeable Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer can hold the responsible parties accountable. Munley Law has a proven track record of success in birth injury cases, and we understand the complex medical and legal issues involved. We’ll fight tirelessly to maximize the compensation your child deserves.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing infant’s brain, often occurring before birth or during the period after delivery. Cerebral palsy can result from various factors, including a birth injury such as fetal stroke, fetal distress, or a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain during the delivery process.
Medical professionals can often diagnose CP based on the child’s medical records and physical symptoms. While the exact cause of cerebral palsy is not always clear, medical errors and medical negligence, such as failure to properly monitor the baby’s oxygen levels during labor or delivery, can lead to a birth injury and contribute to brain damage and the development of CP after the child’s birth and can affect the child’s life.
Children with cerebral palsy may experience movement difficulties and require mobility devices or adaptive equipment to help them navigate daily life. In severe cases, CP can significantly impact a child’s life, requiring ongoing medical care and support.
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that medical negligence or a birth injury may be responsible, call the Munley Law office today. A skilled cerebral palsy lawyer in Wilkes Barre, serving northeastern Pennsylvania, can help you understand your legal options and pursue the compensation your child deserves.
Don’t wait. Schedule a free consultation with Munley Law’s experienced team of injury lawyers in Wilkes Barre today. A Wilkes Barre cerebral palsy lawyer will understand the challenges you and your child are facing, and we are here to help you seek justice and win the compensation you need to ensure your child’s future well-being.
What Are the Causes of Cerebral Palsy?
The causes of cerebral palsy are medical errors, fetal distress, infections, brain injury, genetics, and improper medical treatment. Most of these causes are a result of negligence of the healthcare professional.
The most common causes of cerebral palsy include:
- Medical Errors: Mistakes by medical professionals during pregnancy, labor, or delivery can lead to brain damage and cerebral palsy. Mistakes may include failure to properly monitor the baby’s vital signs or respond to signs of distress in the mother or baby.
- Fetal Stroke: A stroke in the womb can disrupt blood flow to the developing brain, causing damage that leads to CP.
- Fetal Distress: Complications during labor or delivery that result in the baby not receiving enough oxygen can lead to brain damage and cerebral palsy.
- Infections: Infections during pregnancy, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis, can increase the risk of CP.
- Genetic Factors: While less common, certain genetic conditions or mutations can increase the likelihood of CP.
- Brain Injury: Any injury to the developing infant brain, whether from trauma, infection, or other causes, can result in CP.
- Improper Medical Treatment: Incorrect or delayed medical treatment for conditions such as jaundice or meningitis can lead to brain damage and CP.
These factors can contribute to the development of cerebral palsy, and if medical negligence is involved, families may consider filing a medical malpractice claim. Call a Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer at Munley Law Firm today if you believe your child’s cerebral palsy in Wilkes Barre, PA, was due to medical negligence during your child’s labor and delivery.
Is Cerebral Palsy Preventable?
While some cases of CP are unavoidable, instances related to medical malpractice during birth or pregnancy are preventable. Medical errors, such as improper monitoring of fetal distress, failure to respond to signs of distress, or delays in emergency interventions during labor, can lead to brain injury and cerebral palsy.
Suppose you suspect your child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis could have been prevented with proper care by medical staff or that it was caused by medical negligence. In that case, you might be entitled to recover compensation for future medical expenses, hardships, and more.
If you suspect medical negligence, talk to an experienced cerebral palsy lawyer in Wilkes Barre today. Call Munley Law for your free consultation.
What If Medical Malpractice Caused My Child’s Injury?
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe medical malpractice played a role in their birth injury, you need to talk to a Wilkes-Barre birth injury attorney as soon as possible.
Call the right attorney for your case. Munley Law’s Wilkes-Barre personal injury attorneys have over 60 years of experience fighting for the rights of injury victims in PA. We are ready to hear your case and fight for you and your child. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for Cerebral Palsy Cases in Wilkes-Barre?
In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for filing a cerebral palsy medical malpractice case is two years from the date of the injury. However, there are important distinctions between the deadlines for parents filing on behalf of a minor and for the child themselves.
For parents filing on behalf of a minor, the two-year period begins on the date of the injury but is tolled (paused) until the child reaches the age of 18. This means parents must file a claim before the child’s 20th birthday.
For minors who have reached the age of 18, they have two years from their 18th birthday to file a claim for a birth injury that occurred during their birth.
Contact Your Wilkes-Barre Cerebral Palsy Lawyer at Munley Law
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe medical malpractice played a role in their birth injury, call Munley Law today for your free case evaluation. Our birth injury lawyers will listen to you, give you a step-by-step case evaluation, explain what compensation you might be entitled to, and explain how we might move forward in collecting a settlement for you and your child.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1170 PA-315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 399-0406
