Facts About Cerebral Palsy

When you discover that your child has cerebral palsy, it is overwhelming. Cerebral palsy is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and keep their balance and posture as a result of an injury to parts of the brain, or as a result of a problem with development.” There are many causes of cerebral palsy, including birth injury.

Cerebral palsy results in different disabilities for each child. For some children, they may only experience slight clumsiness, while others are unable to walk.

A study by the CDC showed that cerebral palsy affects 3.6 per 1,000 children, which translates into approximately 1 in 278. Some of the other statistics of cerebral palsy include the following:

• Nearly 10,000 babies develop cerebral palsy each year in the United States
• About 800,000 Americans have cerebral palsy
• Two-thirds of children with cerebral palsy will also be mentally impaired
• The average lifetime cost of cerebral palsy is close to $1,000,000

Sometimes there is nothing that can be done to prevent cerebral palsy, but other times injuries that led to this disorder could have been avoided. If you are not sure what caused your child to develop cerebral palsy, you should contact an experienced Louisville birth injury lawyer who will be able to get to the bottom of what happened. Doctors and hospitals sometimes make mistakes that can lead to birth injuries and cerebral palsy. When medical providers are negligent, it is possible to hold them accountable and pursue compensation for your child’s injuries.

For more information regarding liability in cerebral palsy cases, contact Gray and White Law at (502) 637-6000 or (800) 637-6033. We are experienced Louisville Kentucky birth injury lawyers who can help you recover the compensation your family deserves.