Maryland Cerebral Palsy Lawyers

Help for kids with Cerebral Palsy in Maryland

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a motor disorder that impacts coordination, balance, fine motor control, and gross motor control. While cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects people physically, it’s not unusual for it to be accompanied by cognitive, intellectual, behavioral, or emotional disabilities. This is especially common with people who have CP due to a brain injury caused by medical malpractice around the time of their birth.

Medical errors during pregnancy, labor, and delivery can result in conditions or injuries that lead to disabilities like cerebral palsy. If a complication during birth is mismanaged or not detected, injury can occur. Some of these complications include: 

• Water that breaks too early (Premature rupture of membranes, or PROM)
• Yellow eyes or skin at birth (Jaundice)
• Issues with the umbilical cord 
• Uterine rupture or placental abruption
• Preeclampsia
• Hydrocephalus (known as “water on the brain”) 
• Periventricular leukomalacia, or PVL (damage to the brain’s white matter)
• Birth asphyxia (also known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE)

Can CP be prevented?

Each case of cerebral palsy is different. However, in cases of cerebral palsy caused by medical malpractice, if the medical staff prevented the conditions that allowed a mistake to happen, then there would be no injury, or less risk of injury. In other words, cerebral palsy could have been prevented if the medical malpractice did not occur.

Can legal help pay for my child’s cerebral palsy care?

Children with cerebral palsy typically require additional or supportive care for their condition, including different types of therapy, or equipment. It can be financially overwhelming for caregivers. A birth injury lawsuit can not only obtain justice on behalf of your child, but secure care for the rest of their life so you do not have to worry about their future. If you’re concerned that a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional made a mistake that led to your child’s injury and subsequent disability, the first step in securing justice and care for your child is reaching out to a birth injury attorney.

There is a time limit for when a person can file a lawsuit for medical malpractice, and the rules regarding these timelines differ by location or hospital type, and even differ for an adult vs. a child. In Maryland, the statute of limitations is the day before the child’s 21st birthday.

Talking to an attorney is the best way to determine if and/or when you can seek legal help for your child’s injuries. Birth injury cases can take years, and sometimes, it’s not obvious that a child has suffered a birth injury right away or until they get their cerebral palsy diagnosis. It’s important to speak with an attorney as soon as you suspect malpractice.

CP Resources in Maryland

• The Parent’s Place of Maryland 
• United Cerebral Palsy of Maryland

About ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers

ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers (Reiter & Walsh, P.C.) only handles birth injury cases. We have first-hand experience working with co-counsel in Maryland on birth injury cases involving cerebral palsy. Our unique focus means that we have a thorough knowledge of the complex medical aspects of birth trauma cases. Our firm has a network of renowned medical, economic and forensics experts at our side, and our attorneys have been consistently recognized for their work in birth injury. We do not charge any fees for the entire legal process unless we win.