The Cost of Raising a Child with Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is still developing. CP can be caused before birth, during birth, or immediately after birth. The condition affects body movement, muscle control, coordination, muscle tone, posture, balance, and reflexes. It can also affect fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning.
Children who have CP have the condition for life. It usually requires long-term supportive care services, and children who have CP often develop other cognitive challenges, including vision loss, hearing impairment, and seizures.
Because these children often need a great deal of care, people have studied the average cost of raising a child with CP. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and RTI International, over the course of a lifetime, someone with CP will need about $11.5 billion.
Direct medical costs account for about 10.2% ($1.175 billion), which includes doctor visits, prescriptions, in-patient hospital stays, assistive devices, rehabilitation, therapy, and long-term care. Direct non-medical costs account for about 9.2% ($1.054 billion), which includes special education and home and vehicle modifications. Last, the most substantial expense is the indirect costs, which usually occurs as a result of a loss of productivity due to an inability to work—around 80.6% ($9.241 billion).
These costs don’t include out-of-pocket expenses, emergency room visits, and lost wages of family members because they are caring for the person with CP. Likewise, these were estimates made for people born with the condition in 2000, which means inflation might cause the total expense to rise.
Financial assistance is available through government programs, community-based organizations, health insurance, and charity organizations; however, if your child’s CP was caused by the negligence or carelessness of a medical professional, you may be able to seek compensation from that doctor.
Talk to one of our skilled Baltimore birth injury lawyers about your case as soon as possible. We can take a look at the details of your situation and offer recommendations about your best course of action. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit, we can provide you with aggressive representation. Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC has recovered more than $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our past clients. Let us see what we can do for you.
contact us at (410) 567-0800 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case consultation with us today.
