Los Angeles Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

When doctors diagnose your child with cerebral palsy (CP), you likely have many questions. How did this happen? What will this mean for my child? How will I ensure my child receives the medical care and long-term support he/she needs? Could my child's suffering have been prevented?

At Michels & Watkins, we care deeply about children and are passionate about providing caring legal support to families dealing with a child brain injury or birth injury, such as cerebral palsy. Our in-house physician and legal team are here to answer your questions and determine if you have a claim for medical malpractice. Contact our Los Angeles office for a free case evaluation with a physician and medical malpractice attorney.

Understanding cerebral palsy — the effects, the causes, the costs

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a general term that refers to a condition where brain damage results in loss of motor control. Depending on the severity of the brain damage, cerebral palsy may not be diagnosed until the child is months or years old.

As there are many types of cerebral palsy, the symptoms of the disorder are broad:

• Difficulty with fine motor skills
• Muscle spasticity (stiffness)
• Limp/floppy muscles
• Lack of muscle coordination

In severe cases of cerebral palsy, other disorders, such as seizures may exist.

The brain damage that leads to the development of cerebral palsy can occur during pregnancy, during labor or childbirth or during early child development years. Learn more about the causes of cerebral palsy.

While in many instances, the damage could not have been prevented, in others, the child's suffering was completely avoidable — such as when a doctor fails to treat a maternal infection during pregnancy or when a doctor fails to recognize signs of fetal distress during childbirth (resulting in asphyxia or brain hypoxia — lack of oxygen to the brain). These are examples of medical malpractice. Our attorneys hold negligent doctors, hospitals and other medical providers accountable for the medical negligence that causes children to suffer preventable birth injuries.

Improving the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy

If your child is living with cerebral palsy, it is important to determine if there are sources to provide compensation that will allow you to care for your child properly. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients — money that allowed children to have the best medical care, wheelchair accessible housing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, college tuition and much more.

Our attorneys will work with economic and life-care experts to determine the full extent of your child's suffering and the impact that your child's cerebral palsy diagnosis will have on the entire family.

"Michels & Watkins and their entire staff were incredibly kind and helpful throughout the entire process of my child’s case. They worked quickly and were able to obtain a favorable result for my child and our family. I am very thankful to have had their team on my side."

Anabel Aargon

View our Cerebral Palsy Information Center for additional information about cerebral palsy (CP).

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Do not bear the cost of medical negligence alone. At Michels & Watkins, our medical staff, led by Bradford S. Davis, M.D., will help you find out what went wrong. If the cerebral palsy was the result of medical negligence, our birth injury lawyers will hold those responsible accountable. Contact us to arrange a free consultation. Our Los Angeles firm serves clients throughout California and surrounding states.

Whether we determine you have a case or not, we will share all information we find with you, and you owe us nothing unless we recover damages on your behalf.