Counsel For Victims Of Cerebral Palsy And Their Families

An Accomplished Medical Malpractice Law Firm Serving Ohio

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neuromuscular disorders caused by brain damage. It affects its victims’ ability to control their muscles, which in turn affects their muscle tone, balance, coordination, posture, reflex, and overall body movement. The most common type, called spastic CP, may affect just the legs, arms and legs or, in its most severe form, the entire body and face. This severe form often has other symptoms associated with it, including intellectual disabilities, seizures, and problems with vision, hearing, and speech. Cerebral palsy is often preventable during the birthing process. Who can you turn to for help if your child develops CP?

At Crandall & Pera Law, our team of medical malpractice attorneys and Registered Nurses investigates claims of negligence that resulted in cerebral palsy to help our clients determine which steps to take next. We have helped people throughout Ohio when their children have suffered with birth injuries because of medical negligence.

Brain Damage During Pregnancy

CP can be caused by brain damage or injury during pregnancy. For example, fetal hypoxia, a condition in which there is a lack of oxygen to the developing baby’s brain, can result in permanent brain damage if not addressed quickly. Some expectant mothers are at a higher risk of fetal hypoxia than others, and must be monitored more closely for signs that the condition is occurring. Women at higher risk of fetal hypoxia include smokers, diabetics, and women with blood disorders, preeclampsia, or mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

Brain Damage During Labor And Delivery

Cerebral palsy is frequently traceable to brain damage or injury during labor and delivery. A number of conditions may cause birth asphyxia, or lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain and other organs at the time of birth. These may include:

• Insufficient oxygen in the mother’s blood before or during birth
• Placental abruption, where the placenta separates from the uterus too soon
• Long or difficult delivery
• Strangulation by the umbilical cord during delivery
• Serious infection in the mother or baby
• High or low blood pressure in the mother
• Malformation or blockage of the baby’s airway

Research by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke indicates that delivery complications such as birth asphyxia account for severe CP in 5 to 10 percent of newborns.

What Parents Should Do

If your baby has become disabled by cerebral palsy, you face significant expenses for their future medical treatment and special education. If the disability resulted from unreasonable medical care during pregnancy or delivery by the hospital, or by a doctor or other health care professional, you may be entitled to compensation for those expenses. A health care professional may have breached the standard of care by:

• Failing to treat or prevent infection the in mother or baby during pregnancy, labor or delivery
• Failing to consider, recommend or offer a cesarean section in a timely manner in an unusually long or difficult labor
• Failing to properly monitor the baby’s vital signs and respond quickly to fetal distress

You should seek immediate legal assistance to learn what options are available. Because Crandall & Pera Law has both experienced birth injury attorneys and Registered Nurses, we are able to look into claims from multiple perspectives. Our team of Ohio cerebral palsy lawyers investigates claims thoroughly, so our clients know whether or not a viable case exists for medical negligence. We are widely acknowledged throughout Ohio for our skills in the courtroom and have secured numerous multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for birth injury victims.

Our Birth Injury Lawyers Want To Help

Birth injuries are devastating to children, their parents, and the entire extended family. At Crandall & Pera Law, we are there for you to provide in-depth evaluation and comprehensive counsel for our birth injury clients. Please call 877-686-8879 or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation with a passionate Ohio birth injury lawyer. We have several Ohio law offices conveniently located in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chesterland, and Chagrin Falls.