p>Cerebral palsy is a diagnosis that considerably changes the course of a child’s life. It also affects the parents. When the cerebral palsy was caused by the actions or inaction of a medical professional, the parents might opt to seek compensation. Recently, a jury found in the parents’ favor in a case revolving around cerebral palsy.
The boy, in this case, is 4.5 years old. He is unable to sit up, walk or talk because of his condition. In the lawsuit for the case, it is alleged that the doctor gave the pregnant woman Pitocin speed up her labor. It alleges that this decision left the baby unable to get oxygen while his mother was in labor.
In this case, the jury opted to award the complainants, in this case, $11.5 million to help cover his future medical care. As you can imagine, the costs of caring for a child who has cerebral palsy is considerable.
On top of that award, the jury also awarded $3 million for the lost earnings and pain and suffering for the boy. When you think about this, it is easy to realize that no monetary award can ever truly make up for the boy’s life now that he has a life-altering condition.
If your child suffered harm during labor and delivery, you can take action to seek compensation for the injuries. As this case shows, you can seek compensation to help cover the medical expenses that you will incur to care for your child in the manner in which you feel necessary. This can also hold the doctor or other liable parties accountable for the incident.
Source: WHIO, “Jury awards $14.5 million verdict in cerebral palsy birth,” Jan. 31, 2017