Nerve injuries associated with brachial plexus palsy

Brachial plexus palsy occurs in newborn infants when a complication arises during delivery, causing nerve injuries and hindering the function of an arm or shoulder. In some cases, the nerve damage heals on its own or can be healed with surgery. However, when the damage is more severe, the child may never regain full function of his or her arm.

In general, there are four different types of nerve injuries that can contribute to brachial plexus palsy. An infant may sustain more than one of these during delivery.

  • Neurapraxia: The nerve is stretched but does not tear. The damage will usually heal without medical treatment within three months.
  • Neuroma: The nerve fibers are damaged resulting in the formation of scar tissue. This scar tissue may put pressure on the remaining healthy nerve fibers.
  • Rupture: The nerve is not just stretched but is actually torn. The nerve will not heal on its own, but may be repairable with surgery.
  • Avulsion: The nerve is torn away from the spinal cord. This is the most severe form of nerve damage and is generally irreparable, even with surgery. In certain cases, limited function of the arm may be restored by using a nerve from another muscle.

These injuries are more common during difficult deliveries, or when a complication arises and the practitioner must deliver the baby quickly. Although the damage is never caused intentionally, a mistake or negligence on the part of the medical professional may result in life-changing consequences for the child. The lawyers at the Driscoll Firm, are here to answer your questions and help you understand your options for pursuing financial compensation for your child’s injuries. Contact our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.


Medical malpractice as the cause of Erb’s palsy

Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus injury that causes weakness, loss of feeling, or paralysis of the arm. Infants with Erb’s palsy may experience the condition to different extents; a child whose symptoms affect both the lower and upper arm has a global, or total, brachial plexus injury, while another may not be able to move their shoulder, but can move their hands or fingers.

Erb’s palsy occurs when the set of nerves called the brachial plexus has been stretched or ruptured. Difficult delivery, prolonged labor and breech presentation may all cause brachial plexus damage. In some cases, however, an inexperienced or negligent medical staff member may pull the infant’s neck or shoulder in the wrong manner, which may damage his brachial plexus and cause brachial plexus injuries, such as Erb’s palsy.

If you believe medical malpractice has been the cause of your child’s Erb’s palsy, you might be eligible to seek restitution for all the financial damages your family has incurred. Speak with our team at the Driscoll Firm to discuss the wide range of legal options available for you. Contact our firm at (800) 900-7704 today.


What evidence might an attorney expect from me?

The more evidence you can provide an attorney with the better. If you have physical evidence pertaining to things like medical reports, evaluations, second opinions, expenses, or anything else directly related to the claims you will be making in your case, an attorney will be better able to help you develop a more comprehensive legal strategy. However, since each case is unique, you attorney may require more or less evidence than the examples listed above. With that in mind, it is critical that you contact an experienced birth injury attorney as soon as you can, as he or she will be able to more accurately recommend your best course of action, including what evidence to gather.

To speak with one of the cerebral palsy attorneys at the Driscoll Firm, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.


What you need to know about Klumpke’s palsy

Many cases of injury to the brachial plexus have been reported during the birth process. Brachial plexus is a set of nerves that runs across the neck and the shoulder and is responsible for delivering nerve signals to the shoulders, arms, and hands. When a medical staff member improperly pulls the infant’s head and neck away from its shoulders during delivery, this set of nerves may become damaged, causing a wide array of brachial plexus injuries.

Among the possible injuries is Klumpke’s palsy, which occurs when the lower or inferior trunks of the brachial plexus (the C8 and the T1) have been stretched or ruptured. The damaged nerves would then affect the forearm, the wrist, and the small muscles of the hands. Although a baby with Klumpke’s palsy may typically recover within six months, severe cases of this condition may present life-long complications that could ultimately affect a child’s quality of life.

If your child’s brachial plexus injury has resulted from negligent medical care, a lawyer at the Driscoll Firm might be able to help you pursue justice and compensation by possibly filing a lawsuit. Call us today at (800) 900-7704 for a free initial assessment of your case.


Family awarded $18 million after jury rules medical negligence

A Kentucky family’s three-year lawsuit finally came to a close last month after 10 of 12 jurors ruled that TJ Samson Community Hospital acted negligently in the birth of the family’s son, according to a WBKO article.

When the mother went in to deliver her child, she had no previous complications and her child was seemingly healthy. The doctor gave specific orders for the administration of medicine and spacing of contractions. These orders were not followed by other hospital staff and resulted in the baby being trapped in the birth canal with a limited oxygen supply. The child consequently developed spastic quadriplegia, a type of cerebral palsy, as a result of the hospitals negligent actions.

TJ Samson Community Hospital was ordered to pay the family $18 million for institutional negligence resulting in a debilitating birth injury condition. This sum included coverage for his entire life care plan of about $9 million, expected to support him over the next 67 years. He was also awarded compensation for his future lost earnings, past pain and suffering, and future pain and suffering.

This instance shows how too often, negligence by medical professionals can lead to the devastating development of disabling conditions like cerebral palsy. If your child has developed a birth injury like cerebral party due to another party’s wrong-doing, the birth injury lawyers with the Driscoll Firm may be able to help. Contact us at (800) 900-7704 today to begin taking action.


Available Treatment Plans for Erb’s Palsy

The consequences of Erb’s palsy caused by medical error can be devastating, including the severe limitation of flexibility and mobility which can lead to permanent disability. However, for some, the symptoms of Erb’s palsy may be substantially mitigated or nerve damage may potentially be altogether corrected through certain treatments. While these procedures can be prohibitively expensive for some, their impact can dramatically improve a child’s quality of life if successful.

Erb’s palsy is medical disorder that directly correlates with significant damage to a bundle of nerves, known as the brachial plexus, in the shoulder that controls the arm’s muscles. Under some circumstances, this type of nerve damage may be treated through the following methods:

  • By surgically replacing any and all damaged nerves
  • By performing muscle surgery to improve arm flexibility
  • Through extensive physical therapy

For many children, treatment of Erb’s palsy is long-term and will necessitate extensive medical care and rehabilitation

When Erb’s palsy is developed as the result of a negligent doctor’s or nurse’s delivery room error, it is likely that financial restitution may be sought to help pay for the extensive damages that are typically associated with treating the condition. With that in mind, it may be critical that you retain an experienced medical malpractice attorney to help you build and coordinate a legal strategy intended to recover any damages associated with your child’s Erb’s palsy.

The birth injury lawyers at the Driscoll Firm are committed to holding negligent medical professionals responsible for their actions; to discuss the particulars of your case with one of our personal injury lawyers, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.


Is my child suffering from brachial plexus injury?

Brachial plexus injury refers to any damage in the brachial plexus, or the set of nerves that run across the neck and the shoulder region. Because brachial plexus is responsible in delivering electric signals to the entire upper limb, an injury to this network of nerves may affect muscle movement of one or both arms. Several types of brachial plexus injury can occur at birth. For instance, brachial plexus can be stretched or ruptured when a medical practitioner forcefully pulls the infant’s shoulder as they emerge from the birth canal.

To know if your child is suffering from brachial plexus injury, look for these common signs:

  • One arm looks weak, or partially or totally paralyzed
  • The affected arm seems to develop more slowly than the other
  • The affected arm fails to respond to stimuli

Negligent actions of a medical professional may overwhelmingly harm your family. If you believe a birth injury has been a result of a medical malpractice, an attorney at Driscoll Firm may look into your family’s situation to see if it would be possible to seek financial restitution through legal means. Call us at (800) 900-7704 for a free assessment of your case today.


If I’m worried my child has cerebral palsy, what can I do?

While the symptoms of cerebral palsy may not be immediately apparent in a child, they will eventually begin to surface as an affected child matures. Should your child display any of the characteristic symptoms of cerebral palsy, however, it is highly advisable that you consult with your child’s pediatrician as soon as you can. Your child’s pediatrician may utilize one or more of the following procedures to more conclusively diagnose your child:

  • EEG
  • CT
  • Blood test
  • MRI
  • Vision testing

If your child is formally diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the medical professionals responsible for his or her delivery may be liable for any resulting pain and suffering. To speak with one of the birth injury lawyers at the Driscoll Firm, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.


The Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

The symptoms of cerebral palsy may not be recognizable until a child is older despite that the condition typically develops before or during the birthing process. The symptoms of cerebral palsy will often not be immediately recognizable since many of these symptoms are related to physical or cognitive abilities that have not yet developed in newborns.

However, as a child ages and continues to mentally and physically develop, some of the symptoms of cerebral palsy will become increasingly apparent while others may only be discernible upon closer medical examination. Some of the most commonly attributed symptoms of cerebral palsy include:

  • Bone deformities
  • Joint deformities
  • Spastic movements
  • Muscle atrophy
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Agility problems
  • Cognitive disabilities
  • Seizures

Should you observe any of these symptoms in your child, it is highly advisable that you immediately seek a more comprehensive medical examination for your child so that a proper diagnosis may be made. If your child is indeed diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you and your doctor may then begin considering what treatment strategy will be best for your child.

Troublingly, the development of cerebral palsy can often be directly related to some form of medical malpractice. In such instances, any medical professional who is found to be responsible for your child’s cerebral palsy may be held financially liable for their malpractice. To discuss your legal options with one of the birth injury lawyers at the Driscoll Firm, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.


AAP warns about the dangers of delayed CP diagnosis

A diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) can be devastating for families. As such, doctors have been very wary of diagnosing this life-long condition. Because there is currently no definitive testing mechanism to determine CP, some medical professionals choose to diagnose the condition past the age of 8 to 12, when the child’s brain is fully developed and a CP diagnosis can be conclusive.

However, in a 2013 clinical study entitled Motor Delays: Early Identification and Evaluation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) underscored that whatever the type of developmental condition the child has, it is important for the medical professionals to begin early intervention programs that would help the child and their parents adapt with the medical situation. After all, delaying a child’s diagnosis of cerebral palsy is tantamount to delaying the opportunity to seek the best therapies, treatment, and government benefit programs that would have been available to alleviate the condition.

If your child has suffered unduly because of a delayed CP diagnosis, a cerebral palsy delayed diagnosis lawyer at the Driscoll Firm might be able to help you seek the compensation you need. Call us at (800) 900-7704 today.


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