What is a cerebral palsy lawyer?
Cerebral palsy lawyers are attorneys that specialize in cerebral palsy lawsuits. Taking legal action with the help of an experienced cerebral palsy attorney can help your family access financial compensation to help pay for your child’s cerebral palsy treatment.
Cerebral palsy lawyers are attorneys that specialize in Financial compensation can help pay for:
- Assistive devices
- Medication
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Surgery
Birth injury lawyers have access to a multitude of resources and expertise to help your family pursue legal justice. Connect with a birth injury lawyer now.
Cerebral palsy lawyers will represent cases of all types of the condition including spastic, ataxic, athetoid, and mixed type cerebral palsy.
Since birth injury attorneys are responsible for presenting your child’s case in court, it is incredibly important to work with an experienced lawyer you can trust.
Attorneys that specialize in medical malpractice are better equipped to represent you in court. Birth injury lawyers have access to a multitude of resources and expertise to help your family pursue legal justice.
Kristin Proctor, RN
Registered Nurse for 20+ Years
When should I hire a cerebral palsy lawyer?
One of the most important aspects of pursuing legal help is consulting with an experienced cerebral palsy attorney as soon as possible.
Lawsuits for cerebral palsy carry a statute of limitations. This law is a designated period of time in which someone can pursue legal action. Once this time has expired, you may not be able to file a claim.
Since the statute of limitations can vary for each state, it is important to consult an experienced attorney to file your lawsuit within the proper time frame. Expert lawyers have experience filing in multiple states, so it is crucial to consult a lawyer familiar with the area of your case.
Contacting cerebral palsy lawyers before your child enters toddlerhood can ensure you have a valid case that is also within the statute of limitations.
Experienced cerebral palsy lawyers will give you a free consultation to determine your case value and the appropriate time to file your lawsuit.
It is important to determine the potential causes of your child’s cerebral palsy as soon as you can. In most cases, a cerebral palsy diagnosis is made before a child reaches the age of two.
Contacting cerebral palsy lawyers before your child enters toddlerhood can ensure you have a valid case that is also within the statute of limitations.
What to look for in a cerebral palsy attorney
It is important to look for cerebral palsy attorneys with experience and resources that can help you win your lawsuit and represent your best interests in court.
Parents should feel comfortable and confident in their lawyer, so it is important to take the time to find a cerebral palsy attorney with the qualities discussed below.
1. Expertise
Lawsuits for cerebral palsy are one of the most complicated types of medical malpractice cases. The insurance carriers defending these cases on behalf of medical care providers hire skilled lawyers to defend them and employ experts to dispute medical error claims.
Cerebral palsy lawyers will have access to nationally renowned medical experts. These medical experts have expertise in obstetrical standards of care, maternal-fetal medicine, fetal distress interpretation, neonatal medicine, brain injuries, and neuroradiology.
Cerebral palsy lawyers have developed the expertise to handle these types of lawsuits against negligent medical professionals. During your free consultation, ask the cerebral palsy attorney if they have achieved any certifications of competence or peer-reviewed recognition.
2. Experience
When seeking a cerebral palsy attorney, it is important to consult lawyers that have prior experience handling birth injury medical malpractice cases.
An experienced attorney will be able to gather valuable information to help prove your child’s cerebral palsy was preventable and caused by medical negligence. Cerebral palsy lawyers are able to access medical records and other documents to support your case.
It is important to ask your lawyer to detail their experience in representing cases that are similar to your own.
3. Successful Track Record
In addition to experience, it is important that your cerebral palsy attorney is successful in winning birth injury lawsuits.
Although results vary by each case, cerebral palsy lawyers with a track record of securing compensation in cerebral palsy cases are more likely to win lawsuits.
Ask your cerebral palsy attorney about their track record in handling successful cases.
4. No Upfront Fees
Most cerebral palsy lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means that parents do not have to pay any legal fees unless they win their case.
Parents should rest assured knowing that most cerebral palsy lawsuits require no upfront costs or fees — even if you lose your case.
If your lawyer is requiring any upfront costs, this could be a sign that they are not fully confident in their ability to take on your case. Working with a lawyer on a contingency basis can alleviate any financial burdens on parents during the lawsuit.
5. National Reach
Cerebral palsy lawyers that work at national birth injury law firms have plenty of experience handling medical malpractice cases around the country.
Lawyers with national reach will be able to file your lawsuit in the best state for your specific case, as the best state for you to file in may not be the one you live in.
What to expect while working with a cerebral palsy attorney
The goal of cerebral palsy attorneys is to handle all legalities during a medical malpractice lawsuit. Your lawyer will do everything in their power to best represent your case and secure your family the financial compensation you may deserve.
After your free consultation, lawyers will study the facts of your child’s cerebral palsy and determine the value of your case. After investigating and analyzing your claim, a cerebral palsy attorney will determine the strength of your case.
Cerebral palsy attorneys will take on the stress of filing and handling your case so you will be able to fully focus on caring for your child.
Once your attorney accepts your case and establishes an attorney-client relationship, your cerebral palsy lawsuit will officially begin.
Your attorney will keep in contact with you throughout the lawsuit process and update you with any new information. Cerebral palsy attorneys will take on the stress of filing and handling your case so you will be able to fully focus on caring for your child.
Most cerebral palsy lawsuits follow these steps:
Filing
Cerebral palsy lawyers file the claim on behalf of their client, also known as the plaintiff. The defendant — usually a medical practitioner or hospital — then has an allotted period of time to file a response.
Discovery
Legal representation for both parties gathers evidence such as medical records and other documentation to support their case.
Legal teams will gather evidence to prove the defendant did not uphold a high standard of care and determine the causes of cerebral palsy. Expert testimonies and witness interviews may also occur during this stage.
Mediation
Both parties will present their evidence to reach a resolution without going to trial. Lawyers aim to avoid trial since it can delay the lawsuit and payment to families. A third-party mediator may be brought in to assist during mediation.
Settlement
If the cerebral palsy attorney has built a strong case, the defendant will likely offer a settlement to avoid trial. Many cases will end at the settlement stage. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, about 95% of all personal injury lawsuits end in a pre-trial settlement.
Experienced cerebral palsy lawyers will be able to analyze your specific case to determine the best strategy to resolve your lawsuit.
Trial
The case will go to trial if there is no settlement. Both parties will argue their case on behalf of their clients. A judge or jury will then determine the winner of the lawsuit.
Settling out-of-court is the most common and efficient way to resolve a case. Settlements can significantly shorten the timeline of a lawsuit, but they may not yield as much compensation as a verdict during a trial.
Find a cerebral palsy lawyer near you
It is crucial to take legal action as soon as possible if you suspect your child’s brain damage was caused by medical negligence.
Experienced cerebral palsy lawyers are able to file a birth injury lawsuit for your family to help secure financial compensation to help pay for your child’s medical treatment.
Get a free case review today to explore your legal options.
