Cerebral Palsy / Brain Damage

Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term which includes a number of motor conditions that cause physical disability, particularly relating to body movement. ‘Cerebral’ refers to the part of the brain called the cerebrum and ‘palsy’ is a disorder of movement. 

Cerebral Palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centres of the brain before, during or after birth. It can be due to developmental problems, congenital malformation of the brain or damage to the developing brain for example due to a lack of oxygen during labour or delivery causing acute total asphyxia, or prolonged partial asphyxia or both. It can result in profound disability.

Cerebral Palsy children are often slow to reach or cannot reach developmental milestones and Cerebral Palsy can manifest itself in various degrees of physical disability and impairment including visual problems, poor muscle tone, abnormal posture, abnormal reflexes, musculoskeletal problems, reduced sensation, asymmetry of movement and even hemiplegia, quadriplegia and diplegia. It can also result in mental disability, inability or impairment of ability to communicate, problems with perception and understanding, reduced sensation, visual problems and epilepsy. 

Types of Cerebral Palsy include: 

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Athetoid/Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

Sometimes Cerebral Palsy can be caused by medical negligence, either by not properly treating or recognising maternal or fetal illness, not correctly monitoring fetal wellbeing during labour and not acting on signs of fetal distress, leading to a delay in delivery. It can also be caused by failure to diagnose or treat illness in the neonatal period (i.e. in the first month of life), such as:

• Kernicterus/bilirubinaemia

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose)

• Metabolic disorders

• Respiratory disorders

• Pituitary disorders

Cerebral Palsy involves permanent, irreversible brain damage and there is no cure. However, medical and other treatment is aimed at treating and better managing symptoms, disabilities and complications. Treatment can include physiotherapy, exercise, various medicines, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy and sometimes surgery.

If your child suffers from Cerebral Palsy or other birth injury, we can investigate and help you claim compensation if the injury was caused by  the negligence of an obstetrician, or other doctor or midwife. Our team of dedicated expert birth injury and cerebral palsy solicitors have many years of experience in handling cerebral palsy claims and claims for compensation for other birth injuries. It is important that your claim is dealt with by specialist medical negligence lawyers, as birth injury claims are usually complex and high value. We specialise solely in complex clinical and medical negligence claims and have an excellent record. We represent birth injury, Cerebral Palsy and brain damaged children and adults in high value medical negligence claims. We have the expertise to obtain the maximum amount of damages to compensate and provide for you and your child’s future and to support you and your family through the process.  Your child may be entitled to very substantial compensation including general damages for the injury, compensation for past and future care and assistance, anticipated loss of earnings, reduced earning capacity, travel costs and expenses, the cost of suitable accommodation, including adaptations to accommodation or building and design of suitable accommodation, aids and equipment, orthotics, costs of any recommended medical treatment, physiotherapy, speech therapy, behavioural therapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation. 

Our team is led by Tony May, a specialist birth injury solicitor with an excellent record and with over 20 years experience and expertise in dealing with Cerebral Palsy claims, Erb’s Palsy claims and other birth  injury compensation cases, many resulting in multi million pound settlements. Tony continues to represent many Claimants in birth injury medical negligence claims. He also acts as the Court of Protection Deputy for many of our Cerebral Palsy and brain damaged clients, so we can continue to provide ongoing support after your case has settled. 

Tony can be contacted by email on  tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk or by telephone on 01484 519999. Alternatively, you could call our team on the freephone number below.

We are members of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel and Action Against Medical Accidents (AVMA). We are also one of only a select number of solicitors’ practices accredited by the Legal Aid Agency and the Law Society to handle medical negligence claims. We are therefore authorised to deal with medical negligence investigations funded by Legal Aid. If you are not eligible for Legal Aid, Conditional Fee Agreement funding (also known as “No Win No Fee”) may be available. 

We deal with claims countrywide. We are based at our Huddersfield office but can visit you in your home or in hospital if you are unable to attend at one of our West Yorkshire offices. If you or a member of your family may have sustained a birth injury as a result of medical negligence and/or negligence by a midwife, please contact our specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no-win-no-fee lawyers. Initial advice is always free, whether in person, on the telephone or by e-mail. 

Contact Chadwick Lawrence for free legal advice on FREE PHONE  0800 304 7382 or email: anthonymay@chadlaw.co.uk