Did Labor Complications Lead to Cerebral Palsy?

 Posted on September 29, 2022 in Medical Malpractice

It is heartbreaking for parents to hear that their child has a permanent medical condition that could have been prevented. Prolonged childbirth can often lead to cerebral palsy and other health risks for your baby. If this happened to your newborn, your child is now facing a future of limited independence and long-term treatment that can vary depending on the severity of the disorder. If you suspect malpractice during your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and neonatal care we can help you and your family.

Negligent Medical Team  

Cerebral palsy is caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain, most often during childbirth or shortly afterward. It affects your child’s ability to move and maintain balance. This condition will dramatically affect your child’s quality of life forever.

The most common causes of cerebral palsy due to birth injury are deprivation of oxygen to the brain and head trauma before, during, or shortly after birth. Some frequent medical errors and conditions related to oxygen deprivation include:

• Prolonged birth of 18 hours or more
• Failure to monitor the baby’s heartbeat
• Failure to perform an emergency Cesarean section
• Improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction
• Failure to detect a prolapsed cord

Costly Ongoing Treatment for Cerebral Palsy 

Unfortunately, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. The goal of treatment is for your child to attain as much independence as possible. However, medications, medical equipment, and treatment including speech therapy and physical and occupational therapy can be expensive. This will be lifelong, and in some cases, your child will need care 24 hours a day.

We want to help you get the compensation you deserve so that you can take care of your child and hold those responsible accountable. We will investigate commonly overlooked factors to show negligence on the part of the medical team and demonstrate how it caused cerebral palsy to develop.

When Should I File a Lawsuit?

If you experienced complications during labor and delivery and your child has cerebral palsy know that you have rights and that you should act sooner than later. In the state of Illinois, the following are statutes of limitations for medical malpractice cases:

• You must file within two years of the injury that led to the child developing cerebral palsy. 
• File a case within four years, if the damage is not identified within two years.
• When birth injuries lead to cerebral palsy or any other disorder, you must file a case within the first eight years of the child’s life. 

We Get Results

Our mission is to stand up for those who have been harmed by birth injuries and other forms of medical malpractice. We have a proven track record in medical malpractice litigation, representing Illinois families whose children developed cerebral palsy due to delayed births, and have successfully obtained multi-million-dollar settlements for children to compensate for their permanent injuries.

Contact a Winnebago County Medical Malpractice Cerebral Palsy Lawyer 

If your child was born with cerebral palsy and you suspect medical negligence contact Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law at 815-215-7561 so that we can review your case for free. Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law has Rockford malpractice attorneys with more than two decades of experience. You pay no upfront attorneys’ fees to receive the representation you deserve.

Sources:

https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K13-212.htm

 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cerebral-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20353999

https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/legal/statute-of-limitations/