Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder caused by brain damage or abnormal brain development, often occurring before or during childbirth. It can impact a child’s physical and cognitive development, and the emotional and financial toll on families can be immense.

If your child’s cerebral palsy was caused by medical malpractice, you may pursue a birth injury lawsuit to seek compensation for damages, including current and future medical expenses.

The birth injury attorneys at Fieger Law can help you understand which medical expenses are covered in a birth injury settlement to help you and your family pay for care for your child’s cerebral palsy.

What is a Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury?

Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that affect an individual’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by damage or abnormalities in the brain, which can occur during the mother’s pregnancy or childbirth. A cerebral palsy birth injury occurs when your medical provider’s negligent actions or substandard care result in damage to your child’s brain, causing the condition.

A cerebral palsy birth injury can result in speech, hearing, vision, mobility, and cognitive impairments, as well as behavioral issues. According to the CDC, these issues require life-long medical and behavioral interventions that can cost over $1 million in lifetime expenses.

Filing a birth injury lawsuit with the experienced birth injury attorneys at Fieger Law can help you receive compensation for medical expenses resulting from your child’s cerebral palsy. In a birth injury lawsuit, your attorneys will help prove that the medical professionals involved in the child’s birth failed to provide the appropriate level of care, resulting in your child’s cerebral palsy.

What Medical Expenses Can You Receive Compensation For?

If your child has suffered a cerebral palsy birth injury due to medical malpractice during their birth, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses. Your attorney at Fieger Law can help you recover medical costs for the following and potentially other related costs:

  • Doctor’s visits: Compensation may cover the cost of visits to doctors and specialists to diagnose and treat cerebral palsy. This may include visits to pediatricians, neurologists, and orthopedic surgeons over your child’s life.
  • Surgeries: Your child may require surgery to treat their cerebral palsy or related complications. This may include tendon or spinal surgery or osteotomy procedures to reshape or realign their bones. The cost of these surgeries and associated expenses may be covered by compensation.
  • Specialists’ expenses: Specialist care, such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and other specialized treatments, can cost your family hundreds of dollars per session. For example, speech therapy can cost around $250 per session, depending on your insurance coverage. You may receive compensation for these expenses in a birth injury lawsuit.
  • Medications: Medications prescribed to manage the symptoms of cerebral palsy, such as muscle relaxants or anti-spasticity drugs, may also be considered in your compensation claim.
  • Lab imaging and diagnostic testing: Your family may recover compensation for the cost of lab tests, imaging studies, and other diagnostic tests used to diagnose and monitor your child’s cerebral palsy.
  • Wheelchairs, lifts, and other mobility equipment: Wheelchairs and lifts can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. If your child requires a wheelchair or other adaptive devices to assist with mobility, the cost of these devices may be covered by settlement funds in a birth injury lawsuit.
  • Hospital stays: With an average daily hospital stay cost of $2,873 in 2022, your family can face huge bills if your child needs to go into the hospital for surgical or rehabilitative services. Your attorney can help you receive compensation for hospital stays related to cerebral palsy, including for surgery, rehabilitation, or other medical treatments.
  • Attendant care: If your child requires attendant care, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, and other daily tasks, a settlement may cover the cost of hiring a caregiver or nurse to provide this care.

It is important to remember that a birth injury settlement will not pay for your child’s medical expenses as they occur. You will receive a lump-sum amount that needs to account for all current as well as future anticipated expenses. That is why it is so important to hire an experienced lawyer who can help you calculate your anticipated need.

How Much Can You Win in Damages for Medical Costs?

In Michigan, the damages that can be awarded in a cerebral palsy birth injury lawsuit for medical expenses depend on the specifics of your child’s case. Michigan does not limit the amount your family can receive in economic damages in a birth injury case.

Your attorney at Fieger Law will calculate your child’s current and future medical bills to ensure you receive maximum compensation for these calculable costs. They can also help you obtain non-economic damages to cover your child’s pain and suffering as a result of their birth injury.

Get the Money You Need

If your child has suffered a cerebral palsy birth injury due to medical malpractice, work with Fieger Law to file a birth injury lawsuit to help ensure that your child receives the care and support they need to thrive.

At Fieger Law, we help families obtain the compensation they deserve. Our attorneys are dedicated to fighting for the rights of injured children. We have a proven track record of success in securing significant settlements and verdicts for our clients, including the largest birth injury award in U.S. history.

Contact our attorneys today to schedule a free, confidential case review to start your journey to receive compensation for your child’s birth injury.