Cerebral Palsy

Pittsburgh Lawyers Representing Cerebral Palsy Victims

Cerebral palsy is a brain injury that usually involves problems with movement or body control but it may also include difficulties with speech or mental abilities. Cerebral palsy can be caused by things such as infection, trauma, or conditions that cause hypoxia (a decrease in oxygen supply) to the brain. It often occurs in conjunction with labor and delivery of a newborn baby. Current statistics indicate that almost 3 of every 1,000 live births results in some degree of cerebral palsy.

I’m attorney John Gismondi, founder of Gismondi & Associates. We are lawyers who represent families in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania whose children were born with cerebral palsy and other birth injures. A powerful lawsuit can provide full and complete compensation for you, and it can also send a strong message that will help to prevent some other person from being injured by a similar mistake or accident.

Types And Treatment Of Cerebral Palsy

There are different types of cerebral palsy, the most common being “spastic” in which the child has very tight muscle tone (the medical term is “hypertonic”). Spastic CP is further classified according to whether it affects only one side of the body (“hemiplegia”), just the lower extremities (“diplegia”) or all four limbs (“quadriplegia”).

In addition to spastic CP, the other two less common types of CP are ataxic, in which the person has low muscle tone and tremors, and athetoid CP, which involves mixed muscle tone and involuntary body motions.

In addition to the abnormalities in body control or function, cerebral palsy can also cause other problems. Roughly one-third of all children with CP will have impairment with their mental abilities; about 20 percent will have a seizure disorder, and roughly 10 percent may experience blindness.

While there is no known cure for cerebral palsy, the quality of live enjoyed by a child with CP is directly related to his or her receiving appropriate medical care and having the advantage of necessary equipment. For example, muscle tone can be improved by the use of Botox; range of motion can be improved by physical therapy and the use of equipment such as standing frames; and speech can be improved by the use of augmentative communication devices. Additionally, surgeries are sometimes done to loosen muscle tightness or to insert devices such as a Baclofen pump, a device that delivers doses of muscle relaxant to the body to help stop spasticity.

CP During Birth — Was The Doctor Listening?

Although babies can’t talk, they do give off warning signs during labor and delivery. Fetal heart monitors in particular can provide very valuable information about the rate and pattern of the baby’s heartbeat, and that information in turn provides useful clues about how much oxygen the baby is getting. Other equipment also provides useful clues to the doctor. For example, ultrasound can provide pictures of the baby in the womb so that the doctor can judge whether the baby is moving and breathing properly, and a fetal scalp electrode (a small device inserted into the uterus and placed on the baby’s head) reveals important information about heart function and oxygen level.

Our lawyers will very carefully review all of the necessary medical records and consult with independent board-certified physicians who can tell us whether your doctor did everything he or she was supposed to do to avoid injury to your child.

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Lawsuits Provide Compensation … And More

We wish that we could turn back the hands of time and undo what has happened to you or your family. Unfortunately, no lawyer has that power. However, with a successful lawsuit we can reduce the burdens you face by obtaining full and complete compensation for everything that you have experienced as a result of your child’s injury … mounting medical bills, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and perhaps most importantly, the loss of the relationship and companionship of a loved one.

We will also fight for compensation to cover everything that you may face in the future. Cerebral palsy cases often involve long-term needs for things such as future surgeries, specialized equipment, personal attendant care and much more. Our goal is to provide full compensation for all of those needs so that you or your loved one can enjoy the very best quality of life possible and make the most of a difficult situation. After all, that is the least that you are entitled to.

Aside from providing you with full and complete compensation, a lawsuit can do one other very important thing: It can force changes to be made by the doctor or hospital that caused your child’s injury so that no other person or family has to go through what you have.

Our Experience With Cerebral Palsy Cases

Over the past 30 years, the attorneys at Gismondi & Associates have successfully handled a variety of cases involving cerebral palsy, including:

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If your child was born with cerebral palsy, call us now for a free consultation toll free at 1-888-529-1255. And remember, we always return phone calls. Our law office is in Pittsburgh and our attorneys handle medical malpractice cases throughout Pennsylvania.

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