Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy is a form of cerebral palsy that causes stiff muscles in the arms and legs. Unfortunately, most cases of cerebral palsy are caused by some type of mistake or error during delivery resulting in birth trauma. When birth trauma occurs due to medical malpractice, a personal injury lawsuit can provide victims with an opportunity to obtain justice for their families.
At Fieger Law, our Michigan birth injury lawyers have assisted countless families in seeking justice for their children. If we’re able to take on your case, we will thoroughly investigate the circumstances and determine the cause of your child’s condition. If doctors are responsible, we will seek to bring them to justice on your behalf.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
According to the CDC, cerebral palsy is the most common motor function disability affecting American children. Unlike other medical conditions, cerebral palsy isn’t a disease in and of itself. Instead, cerebral palsy refers broadly to any number of problems that affect a person’s muscles and motor skills. Most of these problems are unfortunately caused by injuries experienced during childbirth. There are also many different types of cerebral palsy. One such type is known as spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
Symptoms and Risk Factors of Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy occurs when the leg muscles develop excessive tone, causing stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes, affecting a person’s ability to walk. Unlike other forms of cerebral palsy, spastic diplegic cerebral palsy usually only affects the legs. Symptoms and risk factors of/for cerebral palsy include:
- Premature birth and low birth weight
- Delayed motor or developmental milestones, such as sitting up, rolling over, and crawling later than expected
- Displaying an unusual crawl or walking gait
- Walking on tiptoes
- Birth injury and birth trauma
As birth injury lawyers in Michigan, we know all too well that cerebral palsy is often caused by an injury during birth. When these injuries are caused by medical malpractice, families can seek compensation for medical bills, future care costs, and treatment for their affected children.
Cerebral Palsy Malpractice Lawsuits
Having a child with cerebral palsy can cause a family to incur financially devastating expenses over the course of their child’s lifespan. These expenses include rehabilitation, physical therapy, long-term care, assistive devices, and more, in addition to the everyday medical expenses that all parents incur. When an injury such as cerebral palsy is caused by another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, parents have a legal right to seek compensation for their children’s injuries.
Unfortunately, in cerebral palsy cases, hospitals and doctors may attempt to deny, cover up, or hide the mistakes they’ve made. With the help of a Fieger Law birth injury attorney, Michigan families can get to the bottom of what caused their children’s condition. Our decades of experience going up against hospitals and insurance companies informs our practice, and we know how to thoroughly investigate a birth injury case to ensure justice.
Signs of Birth Injury Medical Malpractice
If any of the following events occurred during your child’s delivery, and your child later developed symptoms of cerebral palsy, you may have a case for medical malpractice:
- Baby born without sufficient oxygen
- Failed APGAR test, which checks for vital signs after birth
- Usage of vacuum or forceps during delivery
- Head trauma or other birth injuries
- Heart rate monitor alarms during delivery
- General difficulties during delivery or post-delivery
If any of these events resonate with your experience in the delivery room, you should contact Fieger Law as soon as possible to inquire about your prospective case.
How Fieger Law Can Help Your Family
We understand the complex nature of birth injury cases, and we understand the complex set of emotions that come along with caring for a disabled child. Your child’s life is no less valuable than the life of any other child, but spastic diplegic cerebral palsy can take a significant toll on you and your loved ones. Caring for a disabled child can be time-consuming, financially expensive, and emotionally draining. When a child’s disabling injuries are caused by negligent doctors, those doctors should be held accountable.
Even though no dollar amount can be placed on a child’s life, dollar amounts can be placed on the expenses your family will accrue after a cerebral palsy diagnosis. Your family deserves compensation to assist with those expenses, and our attorneys are ready to help.
Contact Fieger Law’s Michigan Birth Injury Lawyers Today
As one of the most successful birth injury law firms in the country, we’ve won the largest medical malpractice verdict in American history at $145 million. While each case varies and no specific outcome is guaranteed, we can guarantee that if we’re able to take your case, we’ll boldly and fiercely fight for your family.
Contact us today to set up an appointment with a member of our team.
