Pennsylvania Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

Fact Checked

Contact a Pennsylvania cerebral palsy lawyer to get justice and compensation for your child’s disabilities. Cerebral palsy is sometimes caused by medical negligence, and a medical malpractice case may be the best way to recover damages. A qualified lawyer can also help if your child has been discriminated against.

Did Medical Negligence Cause My Child’s Cerebral Palsy?

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you likely have many questions. One of the most pressing, is why did this happen?

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage, but many factors can contribute to or cause brain damage, including negligence.

Medical negligence can cause cerebral palsy through brain damage. It’s not easy for parents to be sure about this, so you need a good lawyer with a network of medical experts.

Do I Need a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer?

Anyone with a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy or other birth injuries will need excellent legal assistance.

• The most immediate need for the right lawyer is to determine if you can or should file a medical malpractice case.
• You may be unsure if your child suffered because of negligent medical care, but the right lawyer can investigate and give you an answer.
• An experienced cerebral palsy lawyer can then guide you through the complicated process of filing and winning a lawsuit against the high-powered legal teams that back doctors and hospitals.
• Once your child is older, you may need a lawyer for issues of discrimination, denial of services, denial of special education, government benefits, and more.
• Your child with disabilities will face challenges for the rest of their life, and a lawyer can help in many of those situations by providing answers, guidance, advice, and advocacy.

How Can a Pennsylvania Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Can Help Our Family?

First, the right lawyer will help you decide if you have a valid medical malpractice case. You may be confused and overwhelmed right now, so you need professional expertise and guidance.

Your lawyer will take some of the burdens off your shoulders and help you make more informed choices.

Your lawyer will also give you a better chance of winning if you file a lawsuit. Your doctor or hospital has big insurance companies behind them with an impressive legal team.

Without an expert lawyer on your side, you stand little to no chance of winning against aggressive defendants. A lawyer can improve your chances of getting the compensation that will allow you to provide the best care for your child.

You’ll also need help with more minor decisions in the future. For instance, if you need to start a trust for your child or set up a conservatorship, your lawyer can help.

And if you are later denied government benefits or special education services, your lawyer will fight for your child.

Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Laws

Malpractice laws vary from state to state, which is one of the many reasons you need to rely on the right lawyer to guide your legal decisions. These laws can be complicated and often restrict the options of plaintiffs and victims of negligence.

Statute of Limitations

For instance, you may not realize that in Pennsylvania, you have just two years from when you realized negligence occurred to file a lawsuit.[1]

Affidavit of Merit

Pennsylvania law also makes filing a case more difficult by requiring that you submit a certificate of merit. This is a document signed by a qualified medical expert. It states that your claim has value. The expert’s opinion is that your child likely suffered from medical negligence.[2]

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get this document without the assistance of a lawyer with connections with medical experts.

Disability Rights and Laws

Your child may still face legal issues once the immediate need to seek justice and recover damages for medical malpractice has passed. Discrimination, denial of access and opportunity, and other problems may be issues for your child as they get older.

Schools, for instance, may deny your child the special education services and technologies you believe are necessary. They may neglect to follow your child’s individualized education plan. Both of these are violations of the law.

The federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act ensures that your child is entitled to a free and appropriate education, which means schools must provide necessary services beyond what other children receive.[3]

A reputable lawyer is well-versed in the laws that protect people with disabilities. Several federal laws, state laws, and institutions protect the rights of people with disabilities. Knowing where to turn when you face discrimination can be confusing without the proper legal guidance.

Cerebral Palsy and Birth Injury Wins in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania cerebral palsy lawyers are always working hard to win cases for children and families dealing with birth injuries caused by medical negligence. Seeing positive outcomes for other families may inspire you to take legal action or feel better about your chances of winning justice.

A significant award of $40.3 million went to the family of a young girl born with a spinal injury because of how she was delivered. Born with a twin, the girl was in the breech position during delivery. [4]

The doctor failed to protect the baby’s head and neck when trying to get her out of the birth canal. She suffered an injury that led to paralysis from the chest down that may be permanent.

The family’s lawyer successfully argued to the jury that the doctor who delivered the girl did not have adequate experience. They had not worked on a complicated birth and were too aggressive during the delivery.

How to Find a Pennsylvania Birth Injury Lawyer

To find a lawyer who can help you win a similar case and recover the damages your child needs for future care, take some time to decide.

Seek out a lawyer or law firm with specific experience helping similar families. Medical malpractice and birth injury cases are sensitive, unique, and complicated, and a general personal injury lawyer will not suffice.

Try contacting other families you know with disabled children to help find a good lawyer with the right experience.

Also, check with community groups and non-profits that work with disabled people. The State Bar Association can also help you find lawyers specializing in these kinds of cases.

When you find the right Pennsylvania cerebral palsy lawyer, you will have an ally for years to come.

Whether you need to start a malpractice case now or face financial decisions and discrimination in the future, you should be able to rely on this lawyer to help your family win justice.