California Cerebral Palsy Injury Lawyers Assist Parents

Sacramento law firm provides empathetic guidance in medical malpractice cases

Welcoming a new baby to the family is typically a time of great happiness. But if a child suffers trauma during labor or delivery that leads to cerebral palsy, the pleasure parents feel is mixed with emotional and financial pain. At the California law firm of Mastagni Holstedt, A.P.C., our caring lawyers represent clients in medical malpractice claims statewide when infants are harmed due to problems during labor and delivery. We have offices to serve you in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Inglewood, San Mateo and Pleasanton. 

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is the collective term for a group of permanent movement disorders. The four types of cerebral palsy are spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic and mixed. General symptoms include an inability to control movements, stiff muscles, poor coordination and balance problems. The specific symptoms a person has depends on the type of cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is most common, accounting for approximately 80 percent of cases nationwide. Parents of children afflicted with cerebral palsy might notice symptoms such as stiffness, floppiness, scissoring legs and an inability to roll over at six months or older. If your child has been diagnosed with this condition, we will conduct an investigation that includes collecting relevant evidence and consulting with medical experts to determine whether healthcare negligence contributed to the problem.  

What causes cerebral palsy and what are its long-term effects?

The biological cause of cerebral palsy is damage to the brain or abnormal brain development. Though sometimes genetic, it can also be due to oxygen deprivation in the womb or trauma to the brain during birth. Cerebral palsy cannot be cured, so victims face lifelong challenges that can include impaired motor function, speech and communication difficulty, vision and/or hearing loss, learning disabilities, behavior issues and chronic pain from musculoskeletal problems. These symptoms often require ongoing medical treatment and help with the tasks of everyday living. When your child’s cerebral palsy stems from medical malpractice, our personal injury law firm will pursue full compensation for treatment costs, ongoing care, pain and suffering and other types of harm associated with the condition.

When is cerebral palsy attributable to medical malpractice?

Doctors owe a duty to their patients not to cause harm. Obstetricians are trained to understand the risk factors associated with childbirth and to prevent avoidable problems. When a physician does not abide by their professional standards and an injury occurs because of it, that doctor can be held liable for medical malpractice. Specific forms of negligence that can cause cerebral palsy injuries include the following:

• Not taking appropriate steps when a fetus is in distress in the womb
• Not properly monitoring mother and fetus during pregnancy and labor
• Improperly using forceps or vacuum extractors, leading to head trauma
• Failing to treat an infection in the mother during pregnancy
• Not performing a C-section when necessary
• Not recognizing problems with the umbilical cord or placenta

If your doctor acted negligently during your pregnancy, labor or delivery and your baby was injured as a result, we will get to the bottom of what happened and press to hold them accountable through a medical malpractice claim. 

California medical malpractice statute of limitations

The general deadline for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is one year from the date you found out your child had cerebral palsy, or three years from the actual date of injury, whichever comes first. Once we learn the facts of your case, we will advise you of the specific filing deadline for your claim.  

Contact our compassionate cerebral palsy injury lawyers for a complimentary consultation

Our experienced lawyers at Mastagni Holstedt, A.P.C. represent California cerebral palsy victims and their families in medical malpractice lawsuits throughout the state. Call us at  or contact us online to set up a free case evaluation with one of our attorneys in Sacramento, Pleasanton, Inglewood, San Mateo or Rancho Cucamonga.