Tips From A Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer To Help Elvaluate A Cerebral Palsy Case

Learning that your child has cerebral palsy can invoke a range of emotions that include fear, anger and an uncertain outlook for the child’s future. Even if you suspect that your child’s condition is the result of medical malpractice, it can be very difficult to prove malpractice due to the limited knowledge we have about what causes Write Down Your Recollection of Events

It is important to jot down your memories of anything that seemed abnormal about the birth of your child or the care your child received leading up to the delivery. Typically, recollection of events deteriorates over time and it is more advantageous to write down your memories earlier rather than later when it can become more difficult to piece things together. Some experts believe that inadequate oxygen during delivery can be attributed to cerebral palsy, so try to recall what the conditions were in the hospital during labor, delivery and post-delivery.

Rule Out Genetics or Natural Causes

Cerebral palsy can be attributed to genetics, a thyroid condition or an infection in the mother, low birth weight and premature birth. Before you decide to seek damages on the basis of medical malpractice, make sure that you rule out conditions that your doctor had no control over, keeping in mind that the defense will bring up this information if it is brought to court. Even if you believe that the doctor may not be at fault at this point,it is still advisable to seek a second opinion while keeping in mind that any unforeseen complications can be treated as evidence in support of the defense later on.

Collect Important Medical Information

Requesting your child’s medical chart and all medical records related to the pregnancy will be instrumental in determining whether or not your physician could be responsible for your child’s cerebral palsy. A cerebral palsy lawyer will review the medical records and compare them with an assessment of what standard medical procedure would have been in order to determine if there are any inconsistencies between the care your child received and how medical professionals would be expected to act under the same circumstances.

Create a Timeline Of Events

By using your own memories of events and collecting medical history, you can create an order of events that will prove extremely useful when evaluating the legitimacy of a medical malpractice case. As you look through the medical records you have collected, try to determine points in the timeline where improper care was given or complications were present in the pregnancy or birth that were not properly addressed.

Get a Second Medical Opinion

The exact cause of cerebral palsy is never discovered in many cases and this makes it extremely difficult to attach blame for the condition on improper medical care. Both the defense and plaintiff will seek the testimony of an expert to back each side of the case, so it is important to establish early on whether another medical professional agrees with the claim that improper treatment was given or improper action was taken. If after you have presented another physician with all of the information you have collected, including medical records, the physician believes that the attending doctor operated outside of standard medical procedure, then you might have reason to take the case to a medical malpractice attorney for further evaluation.

Present Your Case to a Qualified Attorney

After you have written down your own recollection of events, ruled out the possibility of causes that your doctor had no control over, collected all the pertinent medical records, created a timeline and received a second opinion, if you believe that you have a case, you should consult a cerebral palsy lawyer (http://www.rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/practice/medical-malpractice/cerebral-palsy/). Jonathan Rosenfeld of Chicago’s Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers (http://www.rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com) is a highly qualified lawyer who can review all of the information you’ve collected and help you determine whether you have a chance at collecting damages for medical malpractice involving your child’s cerebral palsy.

Sources:

http://www.childinjurylaws.com/medical-malpractice/cerebral-palsy/understanding-causes-of-cerebral-palsy-is-crucial-to-determining-if-medical-malpractice-is-involved/

http://www.childinjurylaws.com/medical-malpractice/jury-finds-doesnt-fault-hospital-for-childs-injuries-sustained-during-birthing-process/

http://www.cerebralpalsylawyersfaq.com/questions/what-is-the-first-step-towards-pursuing-a-cerebral-palsy-lawsuit/

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cerebral_palsy/page2_em.htm