Lawyer's Story

My name is Ray Alexander, I’m a lawyer at Brown & Crouppen. I’m the lawyer primarily responsible for handling Cerebral Palsy and other birth trauma litigation. For the first seven years of my career I defended doctors who were being sued for medical negligence, after a lot of soul searching I switched to the plaintiff’s side, it just seemed like the right place for me. My recent election into the “million dollar advocate’s forum” makes me know that my decision, now almost 15 years ago, was the right one.

First, I’d like to talk a little bit about Cerebral Palsy (CP). It’s such a hard area of the law on so many levels. The cases I work on involve children who, but for, a careless doctor or hospital would have been healthy. It’s hard to comprehend the difficulty families have dealing with that fact, along with all the suffering and all the missed opportunities. Over the years I believe the bravest and strongest people I have met are the victims and families whose lives have been touched by CP.

Let’s start at the beginning. CP is the umbrella term for a number of disorders that can affect brain function, general movement and gross and fine motor control. The common element of all of these disorders is that the brain has been injured. This injury can occur before, during or after a child’s birth. Unfortunately, CP is not uncommon. In the United States alone it’s estimated that 500,000 people have been diagnosed with CP and that number increases by more than 5,000 every year.

Medical science has determined that the incidence of CP is related to a number of causes. Physical trauma during birth is a leading cause of CP, this is related to the improper use of forceps or a vacuum extractor during the birth process. Another leading cause is a lack of oxygen during delivery. Other possible factors are mother and child RH incompatibilities and the infectious disease Rubella. CP is usually diagnosed during the first three years of life when a child fails to reach developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting, walking etc. In a timely fashion.

At Brown & Crouppen we believe that a lawyer can provide valuable services to children with CP and their families. Sometimes lost in all the other problems these children have, is the simple fact that CP is very expensive. Medical procedures, special education, orthopedic braces and other appliances cost a staggering amount of money. Many families either don’t have enough insurance or don’t have any at all and so their children do without many valuable items that could make their lives so much better. One of the great thrills I have in being a CP attorney is knowing that I helped a family secure a “future” for their child. I know that a successful CP case against a careless doctor, hospital or HMO can mean that the parents will not have to worry what will happen to their child when they’re gone. They can be assured that their child will have the chance for a life filled with as much hope as it is with hardship.

I also work on various other injuries that are caused by birth trauma:

1. Brachial Slexus injuries- one of the most common birth injuries. Its caused when a baby during delivery is pulled in a manner that stretches or tears some or all of the nerves in the brachial plexus nerve bundle that control the shoulder, arm, hand, or wrist. The symptoms commonly associated with this injury include arm paralysis, lack of muscle control in the arm, hand or wrist, and lack of sensation in the affected area. Injuries of the upper shoulder and arm are called Erb’s Palsy; those of the lower arm and hand are called Klumpke’s Palsy.
2. Group B Streptococcus- a common bacterial infection transmitted from mother to baby. This infection while generally harmless in adults can be devastating to newborns. With proper medical care this should not happen.
3. In much smaller numbers we see various head traumas, facial nerve trauma, spinal cord injuries, and fractures.

It’s been said that lawyers who work on medical malpractice cases have to be part doctor and part lawyer, I’m not sure that’s totally accurate but sometimes I do spend more time reading medical books than law books. At Brown & Crouppen we understand the medicine and the law as well as the human side of Cerebral Palsy and other birth traumas, if you have any questions about anything just click here.

Brown & Crouppen can help you make informed decisions about your legal rights, so please call Brown & Crouppen at Toll Free: 866-991-4700 for your free legal consultation or save time with our online Contact Form.