When a child suffers an injury at the hands of a physician or other healthcare specialist that leads to the development of cerebral palsy, Michigan birth injury attorneys help parents achieve the settlement that they need in their pursuit of a medical malpractice case.
The following are our top reasons that you should consider hiring a Michigan malpractice lawyer for your cerebral palsy injury claim.
1. Interpret the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy
Unfortunately, birth injury induced cases of cerebral palsy are not uncommon in Michigan. In fact, statistics published by United Cerebral Palsy indicate that nearly 10,000 children born in the US each year will develop cerebral palsy, a condition for which there is no existing cure.
However, despite the prevalence of cerebral palsy cases that exist in the United States, it remains extremely difficult to determine whether a case of cerebral palsy was caused an injury incurred at birth at the hands of a healthcare provider.
Top medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan can help parents recognize the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy, which vary considerably from case to case depending on the location of the injury incurred.
2. Understand the financial implications of cerebral palsy
The financial implications and responsibilities of raising a child with cerebral palsy can be substantial, as the child will require varying degrees of assistance and healthcare throughout their life.
Again, while this will vary depending on the severity of each case, experts estimate that the average cost of lifetime care for a child with cerebral palsy total nearly $921,000. This is because, while some children remain entirely independent and largely unaffected, others require substantial daily care.
Understanding and determining exactly which damages you and your child are entitled to is a complicated and nuanced process that requires the help of an attorney with substantial experience in both the legal and medical fields.
If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, or even if you have yet to receive a diagnosis but have noticed that your child is missing certain milestones in their development, such as rolling over and reaching for objects, an attorney can help.
Your birth injury lawyer will order the appropriate tests to help determine the extent of the damages that you are entitled to as the parent of a child with cerebral palsy and exactly how much compensation is required to care for your child’s needs.
3. Correctly file your malpractice suit
As in most states across the United States, medical malpractice lawsuits must be filed in accordance with Michigan’s statute of limitations, which dictates a date by which a guardian must file for damages.
This can be an extremely complicated process for parents in cerebral palsy cases to undertake without the help of an attorney, as it may be hard to determine (and prove) when the signs and symptoms of your child’s case first appeared.
When filing a claim, an attorney is intimately aware of exactly which prenatal records, hospital records, and post-birth records will be required to file with your claim. They help parents to obtain these documents, as well as an Affidavit of Merit, the notarized legal document that contains the medical reasoning for filing as attested by an expert physician, which is required in Michigan malpractice lawsuits.
The takeaway
If your child has been diagnosed with a debilitating case of cerebral palsy that he or she suffered at the hands of a negligent healthcare provider in Michigan, birth injury attorneys can help.
Though no settlement can possibly compensate for the injuries that your child has sustained, working with a Michigan birth attorney affords parents in Michigan the peace of mind that they will never have to worry as to whether they can afford to care for their child’s needs.
