Jackson, Mississippi Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

If your child has developed cerebral palsy because of an injury they suffered during birth in Jackson, Mississippi, your family shouldn’t hesitate to call Singleton Schreiber for help. When a medical error changes the course of a child’s life forever, the negligent medical team has to be held accountable. Our Jackson, MS injury lawyers can help you fight for maximum compensation.

Singleton Schreiber is a trusted name in birth injury litigation. Backed by decades of experience fighting for injury victims and families across the nation, our law firm has secured over $3 billion in personal injury settlements and verdicts at trial.

Now, our local Jackson medical malpractice attorneys are ready to help your family fight for a life-changing financial recovery, too. Contact our Mississippi law office to discuss your cerebral palsy lawsuit for free today.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) refers to a group of conditions that affect a person’s movement and posture, caused by damage to the developing brain. 

Children with cerebral palsy can experience:

• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Irregular posture
• Unsteady, jerky, or spastic movement
• Inability to walk
• Variations in muscle tone
• Lack of balance and coordination
• Exaggerated reflexes
• Hearing difficulties
• Difficulty with fine motor control
• Incontinence
• Speech delays
• Learning disability
• Epilepsy and seizures

While children who suffer from minor to moderate cases of cerebral palsy can often live a normal lifespan, children with severe cerebral palsy may face a shortened life expectancy.

According to the CDC, cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in children, affecting roughly 1 out of every 354 kids in the United States (US).

For every 1,000 live births in the US, between 1 and 3 children are born with cerebral palsy. Based on this data, between 35 and 103 children born in Mississippi each year suffer from cerebral palsy. 

While the brain damage that causes cerebral palsy can be accidental or tied to things like low birth weight, prematurity, or genetic mutations, it can also be caused by medical negligence.

Did a Medical Error Cause My Child’s Cerebral Palsy?

Medical errors are a leading cause of injury and death in the United States, and it’s not just adults who suffer the consequences. Thousands of children suffer birth injuries – trauma before, during, or immediately after birth – like cerebral palsy every year, too. 

Cerebral palsy is often linked to avoidable brain injuries during birth that can be caused by:

• Lack of oxygen to the brain (hypoxic or anoxic brain injury)
• Physical trauma to the brain
• Uncontrolled bleeding in the brain
• Undetected infections

These things can happen because of:

• Failure to monitor a child’s vital signs in utero and/or during labor
• Improper use of medical equipment, including forceps or a vacuum
• Undiagnosed nuchal cord
• Prolapsed umbilical cord
• Failure to order a timely Cesarean section 

If the injury to your child’s brain and subsequent CP diagnosis could have been avoided, you likely have the right to sue for negligence. 

What is My Child’s Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Worth?

The lifetime costs of cerebral palsy can often exceed $1 million. Some research suggests that costs can rise as high as $1.6 million for some individuals with CP. These costs only reflect medical expenses and treatment, and don’t take into account potential lost income, reduced earning capacity, or the harder-to-value life changes and emotional distress a person with cerebral palsy might experience.

Ultimately, the value of your child’s cerebral palsy lawsuit will depend on:

• The specific nature and severity of their cerebral palsy diagnosis
• How having cerebral palsy affects the quality of their day-to-day life
• The need for medical equipment, medical devices, or medically necessary modifications to your home or vehicle
• Costs for caregivers and therapists
• Changes in your child’s life expectancy
• Costs related to medical travel and lodging
• The income you’ve lost out on while caring for your child because of their cerebral palsy

The more significant your child’s injury and the more of an impact it has on their quality of life, the more compensation you can typically expect to receive in damages when you file a birth injury lawsuit on their behalf. 

What is the Statute of Limitations on Cerebral Palsy Lawsuits in Mississippi?

Under Miss. Code Ann. Section 15-1-36, the state imposes a seven-year statute of limitations on most birth injury lawsuits, including those related to cerebral palsy injuries.

This provides an opportunity to file a medical malpractice claim against a negligent doctor or hospital until the child’s eighth birthday, and even longer in some cases. 

You must file the claim before the statute of limitations before time runs out. Once the filing deadline passes, your family will typically forfeit the right to demand compensation for your child’s costly and avoidable cerebral palsy injury.

What Does a Cerebral Palsy Attorney in Jackson, MS, Do?

When you hire Singleton Schreiber to help you fight to get compensation for your child’s avoidable cerebral palsy injury, you can expect us to:

• Coordinate a thorough, independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding your child’s birth and the brain injury that caused their CP diagnosis
• Gather evidence that can be used to prove your child’s cerebral palsy can be attributed to medical negligence, such as provider notes, communication between staff, medical charts and records, photographs, and witnesses' testimony
• Hire expert witnesses who specialize in neurology, cerebral palsy, medicine, rehabilitation, and other relevant areas to offer critical insight and guidance as we build your case
• Navigate complicated rules and procedures that often apply to Mississippi birth injury lawsuits
• Ensure that your child’s cerebral palsy lawsuit is filed within the applicable statute of limitations
• Aggressively pursue damages that fully compensate your child and your family for the lifelong struggles you’ll face
• Reject unreasonably low settlement offers from the hospital and its insurance company and take your child’s CP lawsuit to trial, if necessary

You can count on our Mississippi personal injury attorneys to bring a level of experience, skill, and knowledge to the table that doesn’t just help you win your lawsuit but also allows you to maximize your recovery. 

We’ll be there to answer your questions, offer important legal advice, and help your family navigate this incredibly difficult time in your life.

Our award-winning Jackson, MS lawyers offer a free consultation for cerebral palsy and other medical malpractice cases. Contact our law office in Jackson, Mississippi, today to get started.