Finding out that a baby has cerebral palsy is a shock to most parents. Once reality sets in, it’s time to think through the lifelong costs of caring for someone with cerebral palsy from birth.
Estimated Lifelong Cost of Cerebral Palsy
Based on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average lifetime cost estimate for persons with cerebral palsy is $921,000. This estimate is nearly four times the cost of a middle-income, married-couple raising a child through age 17 ($233,610).
Assuming that a person with cerebral palsy from birth lives to the average life expectancy of Americans (79 years), that’s an annual estimated cost of $12,792. In other words, taking care of someone with cerebral palsy uses an estimated 24% of the average American’s yearly take-home salary ($52,344).
When factoring in the typical annual costs of raising a child ($13,742), parents of children with cerebral palsy can expect to pay a total of $26,534 annually. In other words, taking care of a child with cerebral palsy uses an estimated 51% of the average American’s yearly take-home salary.
Holding Medical Professionals Responsible
Some medical professionals’ acts of negligence cause infants to suffer cerebral palsy from birth. Therefore, if doctors diagnosed your infant with cerebral palsy from birth, it’s essential to talk to an experienced Charleston cerebral palsy attorney about your case.
One of our award-winning attorneys can examine the facts of your case to determine if a medical professional failed to do his or her job correctly. With Berthold Law Firm, PLLC on your side, you can rest knowing that we will get to the truth of the matter.
Did doctors diagnose your baby with cerebral palsy? Call (304) 605-2040 now for a free consultation for your case.