Understanding the Rights of Your Child With Cerebral Palsy
Disabilities come in many shapes and forms, and anyone in the world can be suffering with them. Sometimes they are obvious, sometimes they aren’t. There are helping hands out there for disabled people, and these can specify according to ones position in life. For example, dentists can apply for dentists disability insurance to insure them against anything they might encounter. This goes for many other physician job roles as well. But there are certain disabilities, such as cerebral palsy which those with the illness need to consider to make their life as easy as possible. Here is everything you need to know about cerebral palsy disability rights.
What is a Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy is a condition that affects muscle tone, movement, and fine motor skills. It is often the result of brain damage that occurs from oxygen deprivation during pregnancy. Or, during childbirth or shortly after birth. It may affect each person differently. That is, depending on the extent of the damage and which part of the brain is involved. However, most children who suffer from this condition face severe lifelong difficulties.
In nearly all circumstances, these children will need to have daily care which will eventually progress into their adulthood. This can come in the form of their parents and carers. Or, maybe even service dogs who have been trained to help people who live with physical disabilities. However, looking for a service dog can be very expensive. Therefore, many may struggle to cover the costs without looking for extra help.
What about Finances and Insurance?
In recent years, crowdfunding, which you can use with sites like GoFundMe, (visit this site here), has been used to help people get their story across, and as a result, can receive donations from people up and down the country. Using this type of method could be essential if you want to have a service dog, as they don’t come cheap. But it will be worthwhile when you see the difference they can make to a person who lives with a disability like cerebral palsy. And it can even help them when it comes to keeping a job.
Some people who suffer from a disability may find it hard to keep a steady job. This is especially if their employers don’t make the necessary arrangements for their needs. Without a job, it can be hard for them to receive an income that can help aid with their day-to-day living costs. As a result, you may be asking yourselves the question of – can I get disability insurance with a preexisting condition?
This type of disability insurance can help you to receive a source of income to ensure that you can make ends meet. Even though this is a long way into the future for your child, these factors could bear thinking about so you have enough time to make preparations for what their future could hold. If your child suffers from this condition, there are things you should know to help protect them. Here’s what you need to know about understanding the rights of your child with cerebral palsy.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
For those who are parents with children with Cerebral Palsy, it is essential to know that there are protections in place to protect your child’s best interests as they age. These legal protections are set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The aim of this act is to help limit the negative impact any unfair behaviors or policies may have on a child. The act expressly “prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.”
The ADA ensures the preparations of reasonable accommodations. Of course, all in favour of allowing those individuals, regardless of what their special needs may be, access to activities, events, facilities, services and more. This may mean access to a wheelchair ramp, accommodations for visual impairments, or a wheelchair lift on a bus. All these accommodations must be made to help adhere to ADA requirements, ensuring all children are granted equal access.
State-Based Health and Disability Services
Parenting a child with Cerebral Palsy can be challenging and exhausting. Most often, your child will qualify for state-based medical, health and education services. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Medicaid services will provide health insurance to your child that almost always includes at-home nursing services for at least a portion of the day. Nurses assist with feedings, medications, therapy, and transportation. In addition, when your child reaches school age, nurses will typically accompany your child to his or her special needs school in a special transportation vehicle provided by the State.
Birth Defect Damages
The rights of your child with cerebral palsy aren’t just limited to the health, education, and compliance with ADA. Your child may be due monetary compensation if the condition was the result of medical malpractice.
Often, a lack of oxygen to the fetus is the reason a child will suffer from cerebral palsy. This often occurs due to the inability of the obstetrician to deliver the child in a timely manner. In some cases, this may be due to the failure to identify fetal distress that occurs during labor and childbirth. In other cases, this may be due to baby’s size. Or, the size of the mother resulting in the baby’s shoulder becoming stuck on the mother’s pubic bone (known as shoulder dystocia) leading to delayed delivery and lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain.
Many times, the inability to deliver the baby through the birthing canal is not recognized until it’s far too late. This forces the doctor to take emergency, last-minute maneuvers. And these might cause serious injury to both the baby and the mother. This includes Erb’s Palsy and Klumke’s Palsy, conditions caused by the stretching of the brachial plexus nerves in the baby that leads to nerve and arm dysfunction and disfigurement.
Contact an Experienced Birth Injury Attorney Today
At Rossetti & DeVoto, we are experienced birth injury lawyers here to assist you, your family, and your children who suffer from birth injuries including Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s palsy, and Klumke’s palsy. We are experts in all facets of birth injury and obstetrical malpractice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
At Rossetti & DeVoto, we work tirelessly for our clients to protect their rights and their future. If your family is the victim of obstetrical malpractice or a birth injury, give us a call today at 844-263-6260.
