Hemiplegia is a type of cerebral palsy that occurs as a result of damage to the
part of the brain that controls muscle movement. The term “hemiplegia” refers to paralysis of one vertical half of the body and it is a condition that can occur during or shortly after birth. In children, this paralysis occurs on the side opposite the part of the brain that is affects. So, for example, if the left side of the child’s brain is injured, the paralysis will be on the right side of the child’s body.
If your child has suffered hemiplegic cerebral palsy during birth, you may be looking at a number of expenses including costs of medical and rehabilitative treatment and wage loss that you suffer as a result of having to take time off to care for your child. If your child has suffered hemiplegia or other severe birth injuries because of medical negligence (carelessness), it is important that you contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Here are three important things you need to know about hemiplegia and getting compensation by filing a birth injury lawsuit:
1. Know the early symptoms of hemiplegia.
When it comes to seeking treatment for birth injuries, it is important to first identify the problem. Seizures are common in infants who are eventually diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. So, if your child is having seizures, that might be a factor. Here are some of the other typical symptoms of hemiplegia:
• Favoring one hand over the other
• Coiling hand into a fist
• Not meeting typical developmental milestones
• Not moving in symmetrical pattern while crawling or standing
• Muscle stiffness, particularly on one side
• Issues with balance
If you notice that your child is having any of these issues, it is important to seek medical help right away so your child’s condition can be promptly diagnosed and treated.
2. Your child may face long-term disabilities.
Children who are affected by hemiplegia often face challenges with balance, walking, controlling one’s arms and legs and doing tasks that require fine motor skills. The degree to which a child may be impaired depends on which part of the brain has been damaged during birth, and also to what extent the brain has been damaged. Hemiplegia can also lead to secondary conditions that are connected to motor function impairments. The child may develop issues with flexibility, muscle and joint mobility, problems with speech, vision, behavior and cognitive abilities. Children with this condition often require speech and occupational therapy and may need to be fitted with braces and splints to stabilize muscles. Some may even require surgery to address problems with joint contractures. A child who has been diagnosed with hemiplegia may have a long road in terms of medical and therapeutic needs, which may prove costly.
3. Your child’s hemiplegia may have been caused by medical negligence (carelessness).
Wrong decisions, incorrect actions and omissions on the part of medical professionals during or soon after birth is known to cause hemiplegia. Oxygen deprivation is one of the main causes of hemiplegia. Traumatic brain injuries during birth can cause bleeding, swelling and other conditions that may lead to permanent or irreversible brain damage. In some cases, the failure on the part of doctors or nurses to promptly identify and treat complications during pregnancy can lead to birth injuries. In other cases, a physician’s incompetence while using birth-assistive tools such as forceps, may also lead to severe brain injuries and damage.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Birth injury medical malpractice claims can be extremely complicated, especially with the challenges of proving negligence (carelessness) in such cases. You need an experienced birth injury lawyer who can not only gather and compile evidence, but also has access to experts in the medical field who can testify in your favor and help strengthen your claim. This can help you receive maximum monetary compensation for your losses.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. One of our clients secured a $2,850,000 verdict in an Erb’s palsy (brachial plexus palsy) case that was reduced by the appeals court to $1,846,000 because the verdict was so large. This was the highest amount upheld by the appellate (appeals) courts for many, many years. In addition we recovered $1,400,000 for a newborn who lost motion in the arm during birth due to doctors applying incorrect force on the baby’s head. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
We have seen many cases where New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities deliver babies who are born with cerebral palsy or brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) stemming from negligence (carelessness), and/or medical malpractice in the labor and delivery etc. of the children.
The following list identifies some of these hospitals (operated by New York City Health and Hospital Corporation):
• Jacobi Hospital aka Bronx Municipal 1400 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, New York 10461 718-918-5000
• Lincoln Hospital 234 East 149th Street Bronx, New York 10451 718-579-5000
• North Central Bronx Hospital 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, New York 10467 718-519-5000
• Coney Island Hospital 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11235 718-616-3000
• Kings County Hospital 451 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203 718-245-3131
• Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway Brooklyn, New York 11206 718-963-8000
• Bellevue Hospital 462 First Avenue New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555
• Harlem Hospital 506 Lenox Avenue New York, New York 10037 212-939-1000
• Metropolitan Hospital 1901 First Avenue New York, New York 10029 212-423-6262
• Elmhurst Hospital 79-01 Broadway Elmhurst, New York 11373 718-334-4000
• Queens Hospital Center 82-68 164th Street Jamaica, New York 11432 718-883-3000
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com