If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy that was caused by a birth injury or medical negligence (carelessness), you may be feeling overwhelmed and distraught. Cerebral palsy is a condition that can be devastating not only for the child, but also his or her parents and family members.
Families can find it a challenge to navigate the medical system so they can get their child the treatment and care he or she needs, and at the same time bear the financial hardships that come with such a diagnosis. In these types of situation, it is important to remember that you are not alone and that there are resources available for you and your child. Here are some of the important initial steps to take if your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Help Your Family Understand Cerebral Palsy
The very first step is to help your family understand what your child’s diagnosis means and what his or her prognosis is. Some of the important starting points include understanding what cerebral palsy is, what it means for your child and how it can change his or her life as well as yours. It is also important for families to understand well what caring for a child with cerebral palsy entails.
Contact a Medical Provider Who Specializes in Cerebral Palsy
A doctor who has extensive knowledge and experience treating children with cerebral palsy will know what type of ongoing care your child needs. In addition, a cerebral palsy specialist will keep up with the latest therapies, research and assistive tools that can help your child. It takes a team of specialists including a competent pediatrician to care for a child with cerebral palsy.
Look into Therapy Options
Children with cerebral palsy may need a various forms of therapy including physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Because cerebral palsy affects the muscles, it is crucial that your child receives these therapies earlier after his or her diagnosis to gain the maximum benefit. Some children may need ongoing rehabilitation.
Contacting a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer
As New York personal injury lawyers, we have seen instances of cerebral palsy that occur due to medical negligence (carelessness) during labor and delivery, and also at New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities. It is the responsibility of medical professionals to monitor the condition of the fetus and the mother and make decisions that reduce or eliminate a risky delivery. If your child has cerebral palsy, he or she may be able to receive compensation that helps 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 obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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