Columbia Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

Fact Checked

Columbia, South Carolina, provides invaluable resources and medical care options to children with cerebral palsy and their families. While the city has an excellent rate of delivering healthy babies, sometimes medical mistakes do occur.

Cerebral palsy is a common consequence when doctors and/or medical act negligently before, during, or after birth. If your child developed cerebral palsy, you might be entitled to substantial compensation if your child’s disorder is a result of medical negligence.

A cerebral palsy diagnosis means that your child will likely need lifelong medical checkups, as the disorder is not curable. The good news, however, is that the disorder itself doesn’t get worse over time, although co-existing conditions could.

Medical expenses quickly add up, and if a child developed this disorder because of negligent medical mistakes, parents and loved ones shouldn’t be expected to foot the exorbitant prices alone.

While there are several reasons for how medical mistakes lead to cerebral palsy, one issue lies within the failure to adequately monitor fetal distress, as illustrated in the following story about a Columbia mom and her baby.

Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Yields Over $3M for Baby with Cerebral Palsy

On September 18, 1999, mother Lisa Viele checked into the Tuomey Regional Medical Center, where she was given Pitocin to induce labor for her first child. The labor initially progressed as it should, but at some point, the infant’s heart began to slow down, and Lisa’s contractions became abnormal, according to court documents.

Around two hours later, the mother’s obstetrician arrived and ordered the Pitocin to be increased. Afterward, the attending nurses noted continuing fetal distress. The baby’s heartbeat continued to slow down with prolonged recovery time.

Another few hours passed before the physician arrived again. Instead of ordering an emergency C-section, the doctor ordered the nurses to stop the Pitocin and allow Lisa to wait it out overnight.

By 8 a.m. the following morning, the infant’s heartbeat was flat. The physician, identified as Dr. Anderson, finally ordered an emergency C-section. When the baby was born, a girl named Elizabeth, she began having seizures. [1]

Further, she had to be revived with oxygen. A CT scan confirmed the little girl developed severe, irreparable brain damage, which led to cerebral palsy and a host of other co-existing medical conditions.

Lisa’s cerebral palsy attorneys worked diligently to ensure that her baby would have funds to help with medical care and living expenses.

According to a blog created by Lisa years after the incident, Elizabeth “Lizzy” spent almost two weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit before she arrived home.

“Lizzy spent 13 days in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) in Columbia, SC……What a roller coaster!  I had a c-section and was released a day early because the doctor wanted to be sure I’d be able to see Lizzy in case she had too much trouble.”

Lizzy’s health conditions apparently got worse, and she was sent back to the hospital after something was discovered “eating at her brain,” her mother recalled in her blog. After debating back and forth, the Viele family decided to contact an experienced cerebral palsy lawyer to help them.

Lisa wrote that it was a challenging time for her and her husband, but in the end, she knew she made the right choice for their family

 The next five years would prove to be the most challenging years of our marriage. Depositions, meetings, having another baby, caring for Lizzy, teaching, Damon getting his national board certification, and eventually me stepping away from teaching.  From the moment I made the phone call to the attorney, I KNEW I was doing the right thing. I just knew it.”

Medical Help and Resources in South Carolina

Palmetto Health USC Pediatric Rehabilitation

Palmetto Health USC offers “comprehensive consultation and outpatient rehabilitation services for children,” according to its website. [2]

Contact 803-907-0350 for locations.

Human Performance and Rehabilitation Center

Human Performance and Rehabilitation Center (HPRC) offers individualized therapy options, including physical, occupational, speech, pediatrics, and more. HPRC offers the Fitness Center at Forest Drive in Columbia, which includes specialty services and physical therapy. [3]

4114 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: 803-253-6721
Fax: 803-799-8177

Lexington Medical Center Irmo 

Lexington Medical Center offers both inpatient and outpatient services, including urgent care, outpatient surgery, therapy, lab services, and more. [4]

7035 St. Andrews Road Columbia, SC 29212
Phone: 803-749-0924

The Therapy Place

The goal of The Therapy Place is to ensure “children with special needs will have every opportunity to pursue their goals, realize their dreams and reach their full potential,” according to the organization’s official website. [5]

The Therapy Place offers a variety of services, including physical therapy, occupational and sensory therapy, feeding therapy, and language/speech therapy.

3620 Covenant Road, Columbia, SC, 29204
Phone: 803-787-3033
Email: info@thetherapyplace.org