Cerebral Palsy Mobility Aids

Cerebral palsy (CP) can cause severe muscular and skeletal problems. Mobility aids are among the many resources available to improve patients’ quality of life. These aids, including walkers and braces, may allow your child to be more independent and realize a higher quality of life.

Mobility aids and other care costs a significant amount. You should explore whether you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim, as a successful claim can provide the compensation your child and your family need. Call the Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Alliance today so we can connect you with a Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in our network and other resources you may need for your child with cerebral palsy.

What Assistive Devices Are Available for Those with CP?

Because every person with cerebral palsy has different symptoms, each person may benefit from different mobility aids. Some devices that specifically help with a person’s mobility include:

• Wheelchairs: Electric wheelchairs can be a life-changing resource for those who cannot walk on their own or who have immense difficulty moving without assistance. Even if your child does not need a wheelchair all the time, an electric wheelchair may allow them to participate in activities they otherwise could not. A non-electric wheelchair may also help with less severe cases of CP.
• Scooters: A scooter is another resource that can increase a person’s mobility. These scooters often have three or four wheels, providing stability for people who often struggle with balance.
• Walkers: Those with cerebral palsy often have some degree of movement but need help maintaining balance and staying upright. Walkers can be cost-effective resources allowing the person with CP to complete daily tasks and move around on their own.
• Lifts: Lift devices can have several purposes. A lift device may help a person get into and out of beds and seats, and may also help them ascend stairs and other gradients. These devices can be particularly beneficial for those for whom moving to a single-story property is not a viable option, as they can maintain a sense of normalcy by allowing you to remain where you already live.
• Handrails and ramps: While they are not generally considered mobility devices in the traditional sense, handrails and ramps can be critical to a patient’s ability to get from place to place safely.

Medical technology is constantly evolving, and each person with CP has different needs. Throughout your child’s life, they may gain access to new technologies that you can afford for them. 

A medical malpractice attorney will fight for compensation that ensures you can afford all the care your child needs, now and in the future.

Are Mobility Aids for Cerebral Palsy Expensive?

Depending on the specific device in question, a mobility device may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It is difficult to speak accurately about specific costs, as your child’s care costs may depend on:

• The specific symptoms they face
• The severity of their symptoms
• How they respond to treatment (such as surgery and therapy, which can alter their mobility and affect the mobility devices they require)
• The specific equipment they need
• The nature of your home (which can affect whether you need lifts, handrails, ramps, and other additions)
• Various other factors

The total cost of mobility-related resources for someone with CP can be a significant financial weight. However, money should not be a consideration when it comes to providing the greatest quality of life for your child. A lawyer will work to ensure that your financial circumstances do not stand in the way of your child’s well-being.

What Other Resources and Treatments May Someone with Cerebral Palsy Need?

Mobility aids can be helpful to even infants who have cerebral palsy. This shows how soon after birth, parents face the cost of caring for a child with CP, and the bills will be overwhelming.

Physiotherapy

The primary purpose of physiotherapy is to restore or enhance movement and function, often in those with disabling injuries or conditions. The term “physiotherapy” can encompass:

• Manual therapy: Simply manipulating body parts, massaging muscles, and engaging in other hand-based therapies can improve the quality of life for someone with cerebral palsy. Such manual therapy may improve the patient’s range of motion, enhance mobility, reduce pain, and serve other therapeutic purposes.
• Exercise: Physical therapy can entail several exercises. These exercises may strengthen, improve balance, help the patient to complete specific tasks and achieve other goals. 
• Teaching at-home tactics: As part of therapy, the physiotherapist may teach the patient techniques they can complete on their own time. Because CP symptoms can emerge unpredictably and worsen rapidly, it is important for the patient to have at-home relief techniques.

Physical therapy is a common prescription for those with CP, and it may be a lifelong need for your child.

Surgeries

A few types of surgery can be beneficial for those with cerebral palsy. The purpose of such surgeries may include:

• Relieving muscle tension, which is one of the most painful and debilitating symptoms of CP
• Improving range of motion in body parts affected by CP (including but not limited to muscles)
• Correcting scoliosis

While surgery can be daunting, many people with cerebral palsy reach a point where surgery is necessary. Of course, surgeries are almost always expensive, and an attorney will consider such expenses when seeking compensation for your child.

Medications and Injectables

Modification is a fact of life for most with cerebral palsy. In addition to oral medication that may control several symptoms, a patient may also receive injections of Botox and other muscle-relaxing substances.

Because many symptoms of cerebral palsy are lifelong, medication regimens may also be. 

Mental Health Assistance

The toll of cerebral palsy is most obviously physical, but it is also psychological and emotional. Once your child is of an age to benefit from the treatment, they may receive counseling and other mental health services.

It may be important for your child to:

• Speak with a mental health professional who is trained in counseling those with disabilities
• Express the difficulties they face because of their disability
• Speak with someone other than their parents, who can also become exasperated by the demands that cerebral palsy imposes
• Work through their complex emotions with someone qualified to help them process those emotions

The sooner your child can get help for the challenge of living with cerebral palsy, the better off they may be.

Caregiver Services

Even the most dedicated, selfless parent can be overwhelmed by the demands of cerebral palsy. If you need a caregiver in any capacity (including full-time, part-time, or occasional), your lawyer will account for caregiver costs.

Some parents take on a more involved caregiver role themselves. This decision may:

• Require the parent to scale back or leave their career
• Cost the family income
• Also demand compensation from those who are liable for the child’s cerebral palsy

Your attorney will compassionately learn about your family’s unique circumstances. They will determine every form of care, including mobility aids, that will help your child and you as a parent. Your attorney will fight for compensation covering all such resources.

Many Families Facing Cerebral Palsy Can Get Compensation for Their Expenses (and Non-Economic Damages)

You may have already researched financial assistance for parents of children with disabilities. However, there is another potential path to compensation that parents do not always consider: A medical malpractice claim.

Medical professionals fail to protect their patients all the time. Some types of medical malpractice that can cause cerebral palsy include:

• Lack of attention in caring for the pregnant mother
• Failing to detect or accurately diagnose prenatal conditions that can cause CP
• Failing to monitor and respond promptly to signs of distress during childbirth
• Exposing the child to infection after they’ve been born

There are many other failures that can have directly caused or contributed to your child’s disability. Those who may be financially responsible for medical malpractice include:

• Any doctor who endangered you or your child
• A negligent doctor’s employer
• Any medical facility where negligence occurred
• The manufacturer of any medical devices that malfunctioned

Your attorney may demand compensation from multiple liable parties. Attorneys know how to identify malpractice, establish liability, and seek compensation from all liable parties. Let an attorney handle these and all other case-related responsibilities for you.

Why Hiring a Medical Malpractice Attorney May Benefit You

Parents of children with cerebral palsy need help. Between caring for your child and the countless other responsibilities in your life, even the idea of handling a medical malpractice claim—let alone a lawsuit—may be overwhelming. Plus, if you don’t have legal training, representing yourself may be impractical.

There are many reasons to hire a medical malpractice lawyer to represent your child’s interests and your own. Let an attorney fight for your family because:

Attorneys Understand Medical Providers’ Duty to Protect Their Patients

Proving medical malpractice requires an intricate knowledge of:

• The medical industry in general
• The legal term “duty of care”
• The care that pregnant women, unborn children, and newborns require
• The common failures that lead children to develop cerebral palsy
• What does and does not qualify as medical malpractice

There is some risk in all medical care, but medical malpractice happens when a medical provider’s failure transcends unavoidable risk. An experienced medical malpractice attorney is well-positioned to prove the link between malpractice and your child’s condition.

Law Firms Cover the Costs of Medical Malpractice Cases

The financial stress of cerebral palsy is immense, and you may be wondering if you can afford an attorney. You should know that:

• There is no out-of-pocket cost to hire a medical malpractice lawyer (call the Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Alliance to find out exactly how this works)
• The law firm pays upfront for experts, exhibits, reports, administrative fees, and all other case-related costs
• Your medical malpractice lawyer will only receive their fee by securing compensation for your family

Cerebral palsy attorneys show the compassion that you deserve. This client-friendly fee structure is just one indication of that compassion.

Lawyers Take Cases to Trial

Cerebral palsy is an astoundingly expensive ailment. The pain and suffering the condition causes is as taxing as the financial consequences. 

Companies that provide medical malpractice insurance prefer not to pay money to claimants. Your attorney may need to take your case to trial if the liable insurer does not meet their settlement demands. Our team will connect you with a lawyer in our network willing to take your case to court if necessary.

Lawyers Free You to Focus on Your Child 

Time is finite, and it is precious. Your child needs you, and handling your own case will only take time away from caring for your child.

When you hire a lawyer, you free yourself of case-related responsibilities. Just as importantly, you outsource those responsibilities to someone who knows the law, has the resources your case requires, and has every motivation to succeed on behalf of your family.

What to Expect from a Cerebral Palsy Attorney

Your lawyer will handle various responsibilities, each of which will be targeted to secure the compensation your family deserves. Expect your legal team to:

• Secure proof of medical malpractice (and show how it caused your child’s CP): Your attorney will obtain medical records, expert opinions, and all other evidence proving that malpractice contributed to your child’s cerebral palsy.
• Document all of your family’s damages: Medical records, mental health evaluations, and other types of documentation will prove your family’s damages.
• Calculate the cost of your damages and fight for a settlement: Once your attorney has calculated the cost of your child’s and your own damages, they will present their demands to liable parties.
• Represent you in court, if necessary: If filing a lawsuit and going to court becomes your strategy, your attorney will oversee the entire legal process for you.

Let your lawyer take the lead in the fight for justice.

Call the Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Alliance Today

An attorney can provide the relief that your family needs. Call the Cerebral Palsy Lawyer Alliance today so we can connect you with an attorney. Do not wait, as medical malpractice cases are time-sensitive and critically important.