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If you or your child have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and believe that the disorder has been caused by clinical negligence at birth, the solicitors at Healys can help you mount the strongest possible case for compensation.
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Call Healys Medical Negligence Solicitors today. Our friendly team is here to help. You can see how we have helped our clients in our case studies section.
Cerebral palsy is in fact an umbrella description for a set of motor and posture disorders, most of which are caused by damage suffered during birth or foetal development, with birth injury among the predominant causes.
Although there are many possible symptoms, depending on the specific cerebral palsy disorder, it is true that the most prevalent form is spastic cerebral palsy. The clinical negligence solicitors at Healys can help you claim for this type of cerebral palsy as well as other diagnostic subsets of the disorder.
The general symptoms of this condition are muscle stiffness, floppiness, or weakness, uncontrolled and random body movements, as well as issues with co-ordination and balance.
However, there are four main types of cerebral palsy, which are listed on the NHS website.
There is no known cure for cerebral palsy, however a range of treatments is available which can help alleviate symptoms and help the individual and their family deal better with the effects of the condition. Many of these treatments work best if they are started from a young age.
Some treatments available to those with cerebral palsy are:
Dystonic cerebral palsy is relatively common, with around 15% of all cerebral palsy sufferers categorised as having dystonia. Around 15,000 people in the UK are thought to have this specific disorder.
Also called athenoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy, dystonic cerebral palsy is caused by damage sustained to the cerebellum or basal ganglia, which then results in symptoms including twisting, tic-like movements, as well as involuntary muscle spasms and twitches.
Unlike spastic cerebral palsy (in which muscles remain tight at all times), dystonic cerebral palsy causes muscle tone to fluctuate between excessive tightness and slackness.
Due to the nature of this type of cerebral palsy disorder, those affected can have difficulty controlling their speech.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain whilst it is still in the vulnerable stage of early development. This damage is the cause of the improper function of the brain throughout life. The majority of cases are related to issues during pregnancy, as well as to observable structural problems with the brain.
An infection during pregnancy can be a cause, as well as in rare cases a genetic anomaly. Sadly, cerebral palsy can also be triggered by medical negligence. An injury during birth can be caused by medical mistakes such as the improper administering of oxygen to the new-born.
Although cerebral palsy is considered a major disability, it is possible for sufferers to live long and happy lives. The condition does not worsen over time and a variety of tools are available to help manage it.
Although the illness is permanent, symptoms can be managed. Therapy, medication and self-care are all widely adopted strategies for dealing with the symptoms.
The extent to which a cerebral palsy sufferer is able to live independently and manage day-to-day affairs varies widely. It is dependent largely on the individual’s ability to self-care. Performing activities such as bathing, feeding and grooming are often problematic to varying degrees.
Living with cerebral palsy can be an expensive business. Therapy and equipment can have high costs; especially when concerning a lifelong illness. This is why medical negligence claims are complex and require expert legal representation.
Cerebral palsy claims are typically very high value, with settlements commonly reaching six or seven-figure sums.
Healys in Brighton and London represent cases of all values and bring a specialist clinical negligence service to ensure the right combination of lump sum and annual periodical payment.
If you would like to pursue a cerebral palsy claim for you or your child with our clinical negligence solicitors, please call us today for clear advice and information.
24th May 2019
No amount of money can compensate for the loss of a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, but it can at least soften the financial blow. In one case, the widow and four children of a man who was struck down by a hit-and-run driver achieved a seven-figure settlement of their claim. Continue reading »
23rd May 2019
Sums paid in damages to negligence victims may appear large, but the reality is that no amount of money can ever compensate them for what they have lost. A judge acknowledged that sad fact in approving a multi-million-pound payout to a young man who was catastrophically injured in a road crash involving an ambulance. Continue reading »
15th May 2019
The Court of Appeal has rejected arguments put forward by the Royal Opera House (ROH) that a compensation award to a viola player who claimed that his hearing was damaged by exposure to the noise of brass instruments will curtail music making in the UK. Continue reading »
22nd February 2019
Statistics provided by Cancer Research UK indicate that on average 360,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK. However, an article that appeared in the Independent newspaper in December 2018, revealed the startling finding that 4 out of every 10 people diagnosed with cancer have been misdiagnosed at least once before the disease was identified. Continue reading »
19th February 2019
Everyone has a right to complain about their neighbours’ behaviour, but where such complaints are unjustified and take the form of harassment the consequences can be severe. In one such case, a flat dweller who made a fellow resident’s life a misery was ordered to pay him almost £100,000 in damages. Continue reading »
23rd November 2018
A radical proposal for cycling awareness has been unveiled by the government. The plans include a series of measures to improve safety for vulnerable road users, and to encourage and support cycling. The aim is to reduce the significant number of serious and fatal accidents suffered by cyclists. Continue reading »
24th July 2017
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced measures to tackle fraudulent sickness claims. Fraudulent claims of food poisoning by holidaymakers which are false or exaggerated claims, could result in British tourists paying higher package holiday prices. Continue reading »
27th February 2017
The last revision of the discount rate was undertaken on 25th June 2001, when it was set at 2.5%. From 20th March 2017, the rate drops from 2.5% to minus 0.75%. It is a change of 3.25 percentage points. Continue reading »
21st January 2016
Jonathan Austen-Jones acted on behalf of the applicant in this case who was the subject of sexual abuse at the hands of his step-father between the ages of about 5 and 7.
An initial application for compensation pursuant to the 1990 Scheme was made in 1992 and in June 1996 he was awarded £10,000.00 in respect of the abuse he had suffered. This award was clearly too low and it appears that no psychiatric evidence was before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Continue reading »
Jonathan Austen-Jones acted on behalf of the claimant in her claim for damages for clinical negligence. The claim arose from the tragic loss of her baby’s life as a consequence of the failure of the Defendant Trust, appreciating that baby B had a Group B streptococcus infection at his birth on the night of the 1st January 2009, resulting in baby B’s death at 00.55 hours on the 3rd January 2009. Continue reading »
