Can you make a claim for Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy refers to a condition (or a set of conditions) that can develop before or during a child’s birth. It is a result of abnormal brain development or brain damage, which can lead to life-long co-ordination and movement problems, difficulty speaking and carrying out everyday tasks and learning disabilities. The level of impairment and disability can vary widely between individuals, with some needing round the clock care and others managing to lead a normal life with little, if any assistance.
What causes Cerebral Palsy?
Most cases of cerebral palsy are caused due to problems with brain development in the womb. There are three main causes that have been identified. They are:
- Periventricular leukomalacia, or damage to the brain’s white matter which directs communications from the brain’s thought-processing sections to the rest of the body
- Abnormal development of the brain
- Bleeding in the brain which can be caused by premature birth or the baby suffering from a stroke
These events can stem from factors such as the mother developing an infection during pregnancy or having high or low blood pressure. Discovering your child has cerebral palsy due to one of these three factors is devastating, but no one is to blame.
However, in a small number of cases, cerebral palsy is caused by the negligence of medical staff during or soon after birth. These cases often involve asphyxiation or head injuries caused by a member of the medical team responsible for delivering your baby.
Our legal professionals understand that initiating a claims process on behalf of your child can be an emotionally fraught and stressful process. Therefore, we will make a commitment to you to keep you fully informed throughout the procedure and make ourselves available to answer any questions you may have.
Your right to claim
Compensation for cerebral palsy enables you to get justice for your child’s birth injury, but more importantly, it can provide you with the financial resources you need to ensure a better quality of life for your child and your family.
Past payouts for cerebral palsy sufferers and their families have been very high. As well as claiming for the brain injury itself and the impact it has had upon the quality of life of you or your child, you can claim for the cost of treatment, medical care and special support needed.
In order to successfully pursue a cerebral palsy claim, it must be proven on the balance of probabilities that the condition is a result of someone else’s negligence. At Injury Lawyers 4U , our lawyers will apply our extensive knowledge of the claim procedure and related matters to do this on your behalf, and will work to ensure that you receive the maximum level of compensation you are entitled to.
Time limits for claiming cerebral palsy compensation
It’s important to be aware that there are time limits for claiming compensation for cerebral palsy. Parents of the child can claim on their behalf up until their 18th birthday, and after this the individual must claim before they reach 21.
At Injury Lawyers 4U our lawyers have a vast amount of experience in handling personal injury and birth accident claims. We offer ‘no win no fee’ agreements for our clients as we believe an individual’s financial circumstances should not preclude them from being able to access justice in the Courts.
To discuss your situation further please call Injury Lawyers 4U on 0800 221 8888, or fill in the contact form to receive a call back at your convenience.
