Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that affects movement and coordination, often caused by damage to the brain during birth or shortly after. If you're a parent or guardian of a child with cerebral palsy, understanding how this condition develops and spotting potential medical negligence early on can help secure the compensation needed to provide proper care.

In this article, we’ll explain cerebral palsy, what medical negligence looks like, and how Tomlin & Partners' expert medical negligence solicitors can help you investigate and pursue a claim.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance. It’s typically caused by damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth. Some of the common causes include oxygen deprivation during labour, infections in the mother during pregnancy, or untreated jaundice in newborns.

If you’re concerned about your child's cerebral palsy, you can learn more about the condition by visiting the NHS cerebral palsy page.

How Cerebral Palsy May Be Linked to Medical Negligence

While cerebral palsy can sometimes be unavoidable, there are cases where it is caused by mistakes during medical care. Medical negligence occurs when healthcare professionals fail to provide the standard of care expected, which can result in harm to the patient. In the context of child birth and cerebral palsy, some examples of negligence include:

• Failure to monitor fatal distress during labour
• Delays in performing an emergency C-section
• Improper use of birthing instruments like forceps or a vacuum
• Failure to treat infections in the mother or newborn
• Mistake in managing conditions such as preeclampsia or jaundice

If any of these situations occurred during your pregnancy or childbirth experience, and your child has cerebral palsy, there could be grounds for a medical negligence claim.

How to Spot Medical Negligence

Identifying potential negligence requires an understanding of your medical care. Start by asking these questions:

• Was there a failure to detect or respond to distress during labour?
• Were there any delays in necessary medical procedures, such as a C-section?
• Was I or my baby not given adequate treatment for any conditions or complications?
• Did the medical team fail to inform me of potential risks or options during delivery?

If any of these points apply to you, or if you have general concerns about the care you received, it’s worth speaking to a clinical negligence solicitor who specialises in these types of cases.

How Tomlin & Partners Can Help

At Tomlin & Partners, our team of clinical negligence solicitors are experienced in helping families who have been affected by cerebral palsy due to medical errors. We can help you investigate your concerns and understand whether negligence played a part in your child’s condition.

We offer a no win no fee medical negligence service, which means there are no upfront costs. You only pay if your claim is successful. This ensures that families can seek justice without the fear of financial burden.

Why Choose a No Win No Fee Agreement?

Choosing a no win no fee medical negligence UK solicitor means that there’s no financial risk in pursuing a claim. This allows you to focus on caring for your child while we focus on winning your case.

Get in Touch

If you believe your child’s cerebral palsy may have been caused by medical negligence, it’s important to act quickly. There are time limits on making a claim, and starting early can increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Contact us today to arrange a free consultation and let us help you investigate your case.