Caring for a Child with Cerebral Palsy
For many families, taking care of a disabled child can be costly. Medications, therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, schooling, assistive devices and special recreational activities are often unexpected and overwhelming expenses.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average lifetime cost for one person with cerebral palsy is estimated at $921,000. This figure represents costs above and beyond those experienced by a person who does not have a disability.
Costs include:
- Direct Non-Medical Costs: Home modifications, car modifications, special education
- Direct Medical Costs: Doctors visits, prescription drugs, inpatient hospital stays
- Indirect Costs: The value of lost wages when a person dies early, cannot work or is limited in the amount of work he or she can do.
This does not include expenses such as:
- Hospital outpatient visits
- Emergency department visits
- Residential care
- Family-out-of-pocket expenses (equipment, leg braces, walker or wheel chair, housing modifications, medications)
These are just a few examples of common costs associated with caring for a child with a birth injury. Our network of cerebral palsy lawyers have over 30 years of experience representing families like yours in cerebral palsy cases resulting from substandard care and may able to help recoup some of the costs.