Having a child is a life-changing experience. During this time, you put your trust in obstetricians, midwives, and other medical professionals to care for you and your infant. You expect qualified medical practitioners to successfully manage your pregnancy and help you deliver a healthy baby.
Unfortunately, these medical practitioners can make mistakes that lead to serious neurological birth injuries, including Erb’s palsy. If your child is diagnosed with Erb’s palsy due to a medical error, you could be eligible for compensation in a malpractice suit. A Danbury Erb’s palsy lawyer can help you evaluate your legal options and support your family through this difficult time.
Erb’s palsy is a birth injury to the brachial plexus, a group of nerves connecting the spine to the shoulders, arms, and hands. Erb’s palsy develops when the brachial plexus nerves are stretched, compressed, torn, or severed during a baby’s delivery through the birth canal. The condition can cause pain, loss of muscle functioning, and weakness in the arm and shoulder. In severe cases, babies may suffer complete paralysis in the affected arm.
Some babies’ nerve functions will heal independently, but other patients might require physical therapy, nerve grafts, or nerve transfers. A compassionate Danbury attorney understands the pain and anguish families feel as they watch their children suffer from the effects of Erb’s palsy. When this condition results from medical malpractice, the legal team at Berkowitz Hannah can seek compensation on a family’s behalf.
Erb’s palsy often develops when a medical worker is too forceful while delivering a baby through the birth canal, damaging the infant’s brachial plexus nerves. Improper delivery care may cause the baby to get stuck when they are too big. Other times, nerve damage may result from shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulder gets stuck in the mother’s pelvis. Misuse of vacuum extractors and forceps can also lead to Erb’s palsy.
It is important to recognize that not all medical conditions present at birth are grounds for a malpractice suit. Some birth injuries occur spontaneously and cannot be prevented. However, many injuries, including those that may lead to Erb’s palsy, can be prevented through proper medical monitoring and care during pregnancy and delivery. In these situations where a provider did not take all steps that a similarly trained and qualified practitioner would have taken in the same situation, a malpractice suit could be viable. A skilled Erb’s palsy attorney can help families in Danbury search for evidence proving how an obstetrician’s actions deviated from the standard of care.
Nobody wants their child to suffer, and medical practitioners have a duty to uphold a standard of care that protects mothers and their infants. If you believe a medical worker’s negligence contributed to your child’s Erb’s palsy diagnosis, you deserve justice. Any healthcare practitioner who causes harm to your baby could be held financially liable for their mistakes.
Working with an experienced Danbury Erb’s palsy lawyer could give you the best chance of a positive outcome. The attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna understand the complexities of malpractice law and have extensive experience handling and winning similar cases. Contact our office today to schedule your free consultation with a dedicated member of our legal team.
Berkowitz Hanna
