Many expectant parents do not know what to expect during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. We put our faith and trust into obstetricians, midwives, and medical teams to bring a healthy child into the world.
However, not every delivery goes smoothly. Sometimes, medical professionals make mistakes that can lead to devastating birth injuries, like Erb’s palsy.
If your newborn developed Erb’s palsy, you might be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the healthcare providers in charge of the delivery. A skilled Shelton Erb’s palsy lawyer can fight for your injured newborn and your family. Our dedicated birth injury attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna are ready to get to work for you, so do not hesitate to reach out.
When a doctor or midwife pulls too hard on a baby as they pull them through the birth canal, the strain can lead to serious damage to the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is the group of nerves running from the neck down to the shoulder. The brachial plexus connects the spinal cord with the nerves in a person’s arms and hands. Erb’s palsy can occur if delivery causes the nerves in the infant’s upper brachial plexus to pull, stretch, or even tear away from the spinal cord.
Erb’s palsy can develop when a medical professional applies too much pressure to a baby’s neck, arm, or shoulder during a routine vaginal delivery. It can also happen when a physician misuses tools to aid the delivery, such as forceps and vacuum extractors, or if the baby is in a breech or transverse position.
Doctors can often prevent these types of nerve injuries by ordering cesarean sections when medically necessary. For instance, a c-section would be appropriate if an ultrasound or measurement shows that a baby is too large to pass safely through the birth canal. An experienced Shelton Erb’s palsy attorney can review the medical records to see if the labor and delivery team acted appropriately, given the circumstances. They can speak with other doctors and medical professionals to see if they would have ordered more tests or performed a c-section sooner.
Depending on the degree of severity of the nerve damage, Erb’s palsy can result in different symptoms, such as the following:
Some symptoms do not show up immediately but appear more clearly over time. With prompt medical treatment, some cases of Erb’s palsy resolve quickly. However, even mild cases sometimes require ongoing treatment and therapy. More serious cases require surgery, and the most severe cases result in permanent paralysis of the affected area.
The medical and therapy bills after an Erb’s palsy diagnosis can quickly add up, especially if parents have to miss work and lose out on wages in order to bring their child to their medical appointments. A hardworking Shelton attorney can fight to get a family fair compensation for their child’s current and future anticipated losses due to Erb’s palsy.
Birth injuries can be devastating for families. A mistake during delivery can affect the rest of a child’s life. The medical provider who hurt your baby should be legally accountable for their errors.
A Shelton Erb’s palsy lawyer can investigate the circumstances of your baby’s birth to see what went wrong, working with medical professionals to evaluate your baby’s prognosis and help your family find the best way forward. Schedule your free consultation with Berkowitz Hanna today.
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