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Birth Injuries Often Require a Lifetime of Care

The financial ramifications of raising a child with a birth injury can be very difficult to understand. There’s no question that the medical bills are going to be exorbitant. But what about the other costs of living with a birth injury? These costs may not become apparent right away, but over time they add up.

A child who has suffered a serious birth injury (such as cerebral palsy or Erb’s palsy) often requires constant attendant care and ongoing medical treatment. In some cases, parents have to make physical modifications to their home, so that the child can receive medical care in the home. In addition, he or she may require a wide range of special care and services, such as special education classes, speech therapy, and physical therapy.

But what happens when the child grows up? In a lot of cases, a serious birth injury will prevent a person from ever being able to work or to take care of him or herself. Does that mean that the parents will have to take care of their child for his or her entire life? What if something happens to the parents, then who will take care of the child?

There is no simple answer to these questions, but one thing is clear: if a birth injury is caused by medical negligence on the part of a doctor or hospital, and the doctor or hospital is not held accountable, then the family will have to take on the entire financial burden of taking care of the birth-injured person for a lifetime.

On the other hand, the very reason why doctors and hospitals have malpractice insurance is so that they will have the means to provide appropriate compensation when they cause a serious injury.

If your child has suffered a birth injury, he or she may be entitled to compensation. But no insurance company simply will volunteer to provide that compensation. That’s why it is important to contact a qualified birth injury attorney to discuss your rights.