ATHETOID CEREBRAL PALSY - CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE

Athetoid cerebral palsy affects about 20% of those with this condition and is characterised when muscle tone is either too high or too low and to mixed degrees throughout different muscle groups. It also appears in a mixed form with other types and spastic/athetoid is not uncommon.

Athetoid cerebral palsy patients tend to get symptomatically worse in times of emotional stress which is contrasted by a calmer disposition during sleep. In truth the condition does not alter and does not get better or worse with time as the damage to the brain is unchanging and irreversible. In athetoid cerebral palsy, damage has been done to the cerebellum or basal ganglia areas which facilitate smooth and balanced movements when changing posture and sufferers will have involuntary, jerky and sudden uncoordinated movements. The muscle groups most commonly affected in athetoid cerebral palsy are in the face, arms and the trunk. These involuntary movements seriously hamper the child’s ability to speak, eat, grip items, reach for items, hold onto objects and any other skill that involves coordination between eye and hand or other body parts. The patient might grimace or make unusual facial expressions but will have no control over doing so. Swallowing can also be a problem, known as dysathria, causing the patient to drool and slur their speech.

If you have reason to suspect that medical negligence might have been involved in causing your child’s condition then you should take legal advice as soon as possible. Our solicitors are all members of the Law Society Panel of medical negligence experts and have the experience required to answer any questions you might have. We can help you gauge liability and give you an estimate of how much compensation you might be able to claim to ensure future financial security for your child. Legal aid is available to make claims and almost all children will qualify with a nil financial contribution as it is the child’s income and assets that are considered in the assessment and not those of the parents.

If you would like to speak to a specialist solicitor about a cerebral palsy compensation claim free of charge and with no further obligation, just complete and send the contact form or use the helpline or send a message by email. If after talking to us you decide not to take your potential claim further then you are quite at liberty to do so and you will not be charged for our advice which is given free of charge.