Houston Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

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Contact a Houston cerebral palsy lawyer if you think your child developed cerebral palsy because of preventable medical mistakes. Qualified lawyers in Houston have helped many families with justice and compensation after healthcare professionals negligently caused birth injuries.

Why Do I Need a Houston Cerebral Palsy Lawyer?

Children with special needs, including cerebral palsy and other disorders, have many resources and excellent medical care in Houston. Most babies born in Houston are in quality medical hands.

Yet, mistakes can and will happen, and medical malpractice can lead to a lifetime of expenses and a complete lifestyle change for parents and loved ones. Families who are victims of medical mistakes shouldn’t have to worry about costs on top of other worries.

Texas lawsuits over cerebral palsy can be complicated and difficult. Several laws govern how they proceed. For instance, cerebral palsy lawsuits must be started within two years of the time your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. There are some exceptions for minors.

This law and others can be difficult to navigate. A Texas cerebral palsy lawyer can help you understand the laws and give you the best outcome from taking legal action on behalf of your child.

Does Medical Negligence Cause Cerebral Palsy?

Medical negligence and mistakes happen when medical staff, including physicians and nurses, fail to act within a reasonable standard of medical care.

For example, if a doctor fails to check up on fetal monitoring properly and doesn’t realize the infant is in distress, this can lead to serious issues. The baby could lose oxygen, which could cause brain damage, leading to cerebral palsy.

Another form of medical negligence, although considered rare in today’s medical world, is the improper use of birth-assisting tools.

In one such Texas case, a family won their cerebral palsy lawsuit after a physician crushed a little girl’s head while using forceps during delivery.

Houston Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Win for Local Family

Sadly, not all children survive medical mistakes. Although the good news is that death due to medical negligence is rare, it didn’t take the pain away from a family who lost their infant girl in 2014.

The day after Christmas in 2013, Rachel Melancon checked into the Medical Center of Southeast Texas after going into labor. Rachel had a healthy pregnancy and didn’t expect anything except a joyous occasion.

Yet, things went wrong when Dr. George Backardjieve decided to use forceps to deliver baby Olivia.[1]

In an attempt to pull Olivia out during delivery, the doctor ended up crushing the infant’s head and destroying her spine. The baby was subsequently rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, but she passed away five days later.

“We had plans. We had plans. We definitely wanted a little girl. We got a little girl,” Rachel told 12 News.

Olivia’s parents filed a lawsuit against the hospital and the delivering physician. While investigating, the family’s lawyers discovered that the doctor had misused forceps. He also gave Rachel the labor-inducing drug Pitocin, even though Olivia had an abnormal heartbeat.

When the trial concluded in 2013, the jury awarded the family close to $10.3 million in damages. The jury also awarded an additional $200,000 to the mother for pain and suffering.

In other cases, when babies survive an incident after a physician misuses birth-assisting, they have a higher rate of developing cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy typically occurs when an infant develops brain damage.

When physicians use birth-assisting tools, such as forceps and vacuum extraction tools, there is a risk of numerous injuries if these tools are not used correctly. Signs of improper usage of birth-assisting tools include:

• Misshapen infant head (this can also happen naturally during the birthing process)
• Seizures
• Infant bruising
• Hemorrhages
• Infant lethargy and weakness
• Paralysis

If you feel your child was injured due to medical mistakes, keep in mind that an experienced and compassionate Houston cerebral palsy lawyer can help you get the justice you deserve.

No parent should have to foot overwhelming medical and care expenses alone if a child is injured by the professionals who should have kept them safe.

Medical Help and Resources in Houston

Legal action is important to help you recover damages for your child, but treatment is even more essential. The sooner your child receives treatment, the more effective it will be.

Cerebral Palsy Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital

The Cerebral Palsy Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital provides various services and treatment options for children with the disorder.

According to its official website, the clinic provides not only treatment options for cerebral palsy, but also associated conditions, including “developmental and learning problems, difficulties with coordination, positioning, and mobility as well as seizures.” [2]

6621 Fannin Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 832-824-1000

Texas Comprehensive Spasticity Center

Part of the Texas Children’s Hospital, the  Texas Comprehensive Spasticity Center’s Houston location has numerous medical specialists to help develop a comprehensive treatment plan for your child.

Specialists include pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.[3]

6410 Fannin Street, Suite 950
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 832-325-7242