Nebraska Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit Filing Process

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If you believe your child developed disabilities due to medical mistakes or if your child has been discriminated against, it’s important to understand the Nebraska cerebral palsy lawsuit filing process. It can be daunting, but the results mean justice for your child. It’s well worth the effort, although you should not begin filing without a Nebraska cerebral palsy lawyer.

Why Should I File a Lawsuit for My Child with Cerebral Palsy?

There are a couple of situations in which you may want to file a lawsuit to help your child, including medical malpractice or discrimination.

• Medical malpractice. If you believe that a mistake, poor choice, or neglect in care by a doctor or other medical professional contributed to or caused your child’s cerebral palsy, you may have a case for medical malpractice. In filing this lawsuit, you will need to prove that someone failed to provide an adequate standard of medical care and that this harmed your child. In other words, you need to show a link between an act of negligence and your child’s condition and disabilities. Some examples of negligence include failing to monitor or act on fetal distress, delaying a necessary C-section, or failing to treat newborn jaundice.

• Discrimination. Discrimination based on disabilities is illegal under federal law.[1] Your child may be denied access to school services, given only limited access to certain public places, or face discrimination as your family seeks housing. A complaint or lawsuit can resolve the situation.

How to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit for Cerebral Palsy in Nebraska

Medical malpractice cases are notoriously difficult for plaintiffs. Nebraska laws outline the process you need to follow to make your case, seek justice for the harm caused by doctors and others, and recover damages for your child’s care.

Statute of Limitations

The Nebraska law that limits when you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit is the statute of limitations. The law allows for two years from the time of the negligent action or one year from when you reasonably discovered that it caused your child’s disabilities.[2]

Nebraska provides an exception for minors. If the victim was under 21 when the incident occurred, the time limit begins on their 21st birthday. The statute of repose states that no case can begin more than ten years after the incident.

Damages

If you are within the statute of limitations, your lawyer will discuss expectations in recovering damages. However, no lawyer can tell you exactly how much you’ll get. Provide all necessary information and documentation so your lawyer can determine a fair amount to seek.

Documentations include medical records, bills, and receipts for anything related to your child’s condition, such as mobility devices or travel costs for getting treatments. Nebraska caps total damages awarded, so be sure you understand what to expect.

In general, you can request damages for:

• Past, ongoing, and future medical expenses
• Assistive equipment, mobility devices, and other medical equipment
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering and other non-monetary expenses

Filing and Medical Review Panel

In Nebraska, state law requires that you send the complaint to a medical review panel before filing a lawsuit.[3] You must include all the details of your allegations. The defendants will also be notified.

The panel will decide whether it believes medical negligence occurred or not. The result is not binding but can be used as evidence in court.

Settlement Negotiations

Your lawyer will next try to negotiate a settlement on your behalf if possible. This occurs through talks with the lawyers on both sides.

You get the final say in whether or not to accept any last offer of compensation. If negotiations fail, you’ll likely proceed to trial.

Trial in Court

In court, your case will likely go in front of a jury. Your lawyer presents all the evidence, talks to expert witnesses, questions witnesses for the other side, and argues your case.

The jury decides on whether or not medical malpractice occurred. If selected in your favor, the jury also determines a damages award.

How to File a Discrimination Complaint or Lawsuit in Nebraska

Nebraska’s Equal Opportunity Commission enforces several state laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, public accommodations, or employment.[4]

If your child has experienced discrimination in school, such as denying appropriate accommodations or special education services, you may need to file with a federal agency.

In Nebraska, filing a complaint with the state agency begins with a written, online, or in-person filing that details the incident or situation.

From there, you will be assigned an investigator and an appointment for a more formal interview. You and the respondent can try to resolve the situation with mediation and a settlement.

If there is no resolution by mediation, the Commission will investigate your case. It will then determine whether or not discrimination occurred. If the finding is in your favor, the agency will decide what actions should be taken.

A conciliation procedure will begin to help both sides agree. If this fails, you can request a public hearing for a final determination and resolution. You can also choose to sue, and your lawyer will help you file the lawsuit to begin that process.

How to Find a Lawyer to Help You File

The long and often complicated process of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit or discrimination complaint is best done with a good lawyer to guide you. Look for a lawyer with specific expertise in discrimination, disabilities, cerebral palsy, birth injuries, and medical malpractice.

Keep in mind that someone who does not have experience specifically in medical malpractice cases will not be able to give you the best advice or the best chance of winning your case.

To choose the right lawyer, take some time to research. Look for a lawyer or firm that can prove it has won cases like yours in the past and someone willing to give references from past clients. Don’t settle for less than the best lawyer to represent your family in this challenging process.

Filing a lawsuit in Nebraska for your child with cerebral palsy is not something to be done lightly.

Rely on an expert lawyer, learn more about the process, and take all the necessary steps to provide your child with a win and the compensation to help provide care.