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Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day – 25th March 2017 (24 March 2017)

Date: 24/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day – 25th March 2017

Cerebral palsy affects approximately 1 in every 400 babies born in the UK. Cerebral Palsy can be caused by a brain injury which can occur in the womb or during delivery. The symptoms of cerebral palsy will range from mild to severe and life-changing and children with severe cerebral palsy often have complex care needs.

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, and today is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, with organisations United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an organisation based in the United States that is dedicated to raising awareness about cerebral palsy and promotes the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy. UPC provides a description of cerebral palsy:

“Cerebral palsy is characterized by an inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination. Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur: muscle tightness or spasticity; involuntary movement; disturbance in gait or mobility, difficulty in swallowing and problems with speech. In addition, the following may occur: abnormal sensation and perception; impairment of sight, hearing or speech; seizures; and/or mental retardation. Other problems that may arise are difficulties in feeding, bladder and bowel control, problems with breathing because of postural difficulties, skin disorders because of pressure sores, and learning disabilities.”

Unfortunately, the development of cerebral palsy is often the result of negligent medical care and malpractice by medical staff. For example, a delay in delivery of a baby can lead to oxygen deprivation and subsequent brain damage. A failure to correctly use assistive technology during childbirth has the potential to cause brain damage, as does a failure to diagnose infections and identify other medical issues.

Rebecca Thomas, Director of Clinical Negligence at Duncan Lewis Solicitors comments:

“I wholeheartedly support Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day as this will not only assist families who have a family member with Cerebral Palsy, it will also raise awareness of the condition in the general population”.

Rebecca Thomas is a Director of Clinical Negligence at Duncan Lewis. Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience in her field and represents clients in a wide range of cases including claims involving cosmetic and dental negligence, surgical and orthopaedic injuries arising from delay, misdiagnosis or negligent spinal surgery, gastrointestinal and ophthalmic surgery.

Families who have been affected by cerebral palsy as a result of clinical negligence are often entitled to compensation to assist with funding future needs. It was recently reported that the family of a 10-year-old school girl who has cerebral palsy following complications at birth was awarded a £9.3m settlement to improve their future financial ability to meet the needs for the rest of her life.

The Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence team has significant experience acting in a vast array of claims including acting for children with cerebral palsy. They also act for adults who have suffered profound and permanent brain, spinal or neurological injuries and associated disabilities as a consequence of failings in medical care in both NHS and private hospitals. If you have any queries relating to Clinical Negligence or think that you may have a claim, please do not hesitate to contact our team of expert solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

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