Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and 
maintain balance and posture. The word “cerebral” refers to the brain and “palsy” signifies weakness or problems using one’s muscles. Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. When this occurs due to birth injuries, the child’s ability to control his or her muscles is affected.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary from individual to individual. A person who has severe cerebral palsy often needs special equipment to walk. He or she may not be able to walk at all and may even need lifelong care. While cerebral palsy may not get worse over time, the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime. All people who have cerebral palsy have issues with posture and movement. Many also suffer from conditions such as intellectual disability, seizures, vision and hearing problems, speech issues, spinal deformities or joint problems.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
Medical professionals classify cerebral palsy according to the main type of movement disorder involved. This often depends on which areas of the brain are affected. Children with cerebral palsy may have movement disorders such as stiff muscles (spasticity), uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia) or poor balance and coordination (ataxia). Here are some of the common types of cerebral palsy based on these disorders.
Spastic cerebral palsy: This is the most common type of cerebral palsy, accounting for nearly 75% of all cases. Spastic cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain’s motor cortex, which controls the body’s voluntary movements. In these cases, a child’s movements may seem stiff or jerky. Joints may appear stiff or bent. Fingers will rest in a fist. Thighs might scissor and the voice may seem hoarse. Common symptoms of spastic cerebral palsy include awkward reflexes in certain parts of the body, difficulty in eating or drinking and an abnormal gait.
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: This type of cerebral palsy accounts for about 10% of the cases. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is often caused by damage to the brain’s basal ganglia, which regulates voluntary movements as well as eye movements. Children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy have trouble controlling the movement of their hands, arms, feet and legs. This can make it difficult to sit and walk. The movements may seem slow and writhing or rapid and jerky. Sometimes, the face and tongue are also affected and the child may have problems performing activities such as talking, sucking and swallowing.
Ataxic cerebral palsy: This type of cerebral palsy usually makes up a small percentage of cases and results from the damage of the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination. Children who have ataxic cerebral palsy may seem unsteady when they walk. They might have a hard time with quick movements or movements that need to be controlled, such as writing. They may also have a hard time controlling their hands or arms when they reach for something.
Mixed cerebral palsy: This occurs when there is damage to the brain in more than one location and results in symptoms that are attributed to more than one type of cerebral palsy.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Cerebral palsy often occurs as a result of brain damage that is caused during labor and delivery. It is the responsibility of medical professionals to monitor the condition of the fetus and the mother and make decisions that would reduce or eliminate a risky delivery. If your child has cerebral palsy he or she may be able to receive compensation that may help pay for medical expenses, lost income, cost of therapy, future treatments, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
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 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
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