Justice for Children Harmed by Medical Errors

Types of Cerebral Palsy Cases We Handle

When medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, and delivery causes your child's cerebral palsy, our Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers hold healthcare providers accountable for the lifelong consequences of their errors.

Common cerebral palsy cases we handle:

• Spastic cerebral palsy: The most common type affecting muscle control and movement from brain damage during birth.

• Ataxic cerebral palsy: Balance and coordination problems from damage to the brain's cerebellum during delivery.

• Mixed cerebral palsy: Multiple types affecting different brain areas from medical errors during birth.
  

• Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): Brain injury from lack of oxygen that often causes cerebral palsy.
  

• Erb's palsy: Brachial plexus nerve damage affecting arm and hand movement.
  

• Delayed cesarean section: Emergency C-sections performed too late, causing permanent brain damage.
  

• Fetal distress mismanagement: Failure to respond to warning signs during labor, causing cerebral palsy.
  

How Cerebral Palsy Affects Your Child's Life

Cerebral palsy is not just a medical diagnosis — it's a lifetime of challenges that affect every aspect of your child's development and your family's future. Our Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys work closely with medical experts to document how your child's condition impacts their daily life.

Physical symptoms and limitations:

• Difficulty walking, crawling, or maintaining balance requiring mobility aids and adaptive equipment.

• Muscle stiffness or weakness affecting their ability to perform basic daily activities independently.

• Speech difficulties making communication and social interaction challenging throughout their development.
  

• Fine motor skill problems affecting their ability to write, eat, or play with toys normally.
  

• Involuntary movements that interfere with coordinated actions and limit their independence.
  

• Chronic pain requiring ongoing medical treatment and physical therapy sessions.
  

Intellectual and developmental impact:

• Cognitive delays affecting learning abilities and academic progress requiring special education services.
  

• Behavioral challenges that may require specialized therapy and behavioral interventions throughout childhood.
  

• Vision and hearing problems that compound learning difficulties and require additional medical care.
  

• Seizure disorders requiring lifelong medication management and constant medical monitoring.
  

Family life changes:

• Parents often must leave careers to provide full-time care for their child's medical needs.
  

• Siblings may receive less attention as parents focus on the affected child's intensive care requirements.
  

• Financial stress from mounting medical bills, therapy costs, and equipment needs that insurance doesn't cover.
  

Common Medical Errors That Cause Cerebral Palsy

Most cases of cerebral palsy result from preventable medical errors during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. When healthcare providers fail to meet accepted standards of medical care, the consequences can devastate your child's entire life.

Medical Negligence During Labor and Delivery

Medical professionals have specific protocols to follow when complications arise during the delivery process. Common medical errors include delayed cesarean sections when fetal distress occurs, failure to monitor your baby's heart rate properly during labor, misuse of forceps or vacuum extractors that can cause brain trauma, inadequate response to umbilical cord complications that cut off oxygen supply, and improper management of shoulder dystocia that can cause oxygen deprivation.

Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy)

When your baby's brain doesn't receive enough oxygen during birth, brain cells begin to die within minutes. This condition, called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, is a primary cause of cerebral palsy. Medical professionals must recognize signs of fetal distress immediately and take swift action to protect the infant's brain from permanent damage.

Failure to Diagnose Maternal Conditions

Undiagnosed or untreated maternal infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other conditions can increase the risk of birth complications that lead to cerebral palsy. Healthcare providers must closely monitor expectant mothers and treat any conditions that could impact the delivery process or the infant's health.

What to Do After Your Child's Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis in Pittsburgh

Learning that your child has cerebral palsy is devastating, especially when you suspect medical negligence may be responsible. Taking the right steps protects both your child's health and your legal rights to pursue compensation for their lifelong care needs.

• Seek comprehensive medical evaluation: Obtain a thorough assessment from pediatric neurologists and developmental specialists who can document the full extent of your child's condition and treatment needs.  
  

• Preserve all medical records: Request complete copies of all medical records from your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and your child's subsequent care. These documents are essential evidence for proving medical negligence.
  

• Document your child's condition: Keep detailed records of your child's symptoms, developmental milestones, therapy sessions, and how cerebral palsy affects their daily life and your family's routine.

• Avoid discussing fault: Do not sign any documents from hospitals or insurance companies or discuss potential liability with healthcare providers without legal representation present.

• Contact experienced birth injury lawyers: Pennsylvania has strict time limits for filing medical malpractice claims, so consulting with qualified legal counsel quickly protects your family's rights.

• Continue necessary medical treatment: Follow all recommended therapies and treatments for your child while building your legal case. Proper medical care not only helps your child but also demonstrates the extent of the damage.

Laws Governing Cerebral Palsy Cases in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's medical malpractice laws have specific requirements that families must follow when pursuing compensation for birth injuries that cause cerebral palsy.

Certificate of Merit Requirement

Pennsylvania requires a qualified medical professional in the same specialty as the defendant to review your case and confirm that negligence likely occurred. This expert must state that your child's cerebral palsy resulted from medical errors that fell below accepted standards of care.

Statute of Limitations for Children

While adults have two years to file medical malpractice claims, cases involving children with cerebral palsy must be filed before the child's 20th birthday. This extended timeline allows families time to fully assess their child's condition and future needs.

Compensation Available for Cerebral Palsy Victims

Our birth injury lawyers fight for complete financial recovery to cover your child's lifetime care needs when medical negligence causes cerebral palsy.