Mental health and issues with our brain can often start in patients from a young age. One of the most common ones is known as CP or Cerebral Palsy. Defined as a group of disorders that affects an individual’s ability to perform any movement, to maintain their posture or balance, is usually what’s referred to as cerebral palsy.
It is a disability that adversely affects the motor skills of a child or adult, and has to do with abnormal brain development, which causes weakness or inability to use their muscles properly. Sometimes if it is not birth-related, it could also be due to medical negligence.
In some instances where this can happen to include the inability to:
- Monitor the baby’s heartbeat properly
- Delivering the baby by caesarean or earlier than planned
- A lack of response when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck
If any of this occurs and leads to injury or a health issue such as CP, a medical negligence lawyer can help the patient with a legal compensation settlement either in court or out of court. They will guide you through the process and help you to acquire as much compensation as possible, and also try to secure an interim payment for you while the case or lawsuit is still going on.
The option of receiving an interim payment from a claim such as one a brain injury or Cerebral palsy is something not many people know about. This article will highlight this option for those who are worried and looking for help with compensation and may be dealing with a medical negligence compensation case against their doctor or clinical practitioner.
What is an interim payment
This form of payment is made to the claimant in the event that the medical claim is still in the process and is taking a long time. In some cases, situations may be more complex than others and could take time to reach a full conclusion. Many claimants need funding immediately and cannot wait. This is where the interim payment can help significantly.
The amount you can get will vary depending on a few factors and on a case-by-case basis and usually is a percentage of the amount of the final settlement. This type of payment can be applied to any medical negligence claim. Some examples of circumstances they have been used in include:
- When the timeframe for concluding the case may take longer than expected.
- When a thorough understanding of a child’s diagnosis or disability either cannot be determined or will take longer to do so.
- If treatment is required for the claimant and the outcome influences the compensation amount that is granted.
If you or your child has been affected by cerebral palsy or any other brain disorder due to gross negligence on the part of the medical professional, it is your right to ask for compensation and depending on the situation the mount will differ, however, lawyers and solicitors who specialise in these types of medical cases have a good understanding of how to handle these issues with the utmost care and thorough investigation on all parties.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She is interested in mental health and well-being.
