Pursuing A Medical Malpractice Case For Erb’s Palsy And A Brachial Plexus Birth Injury

Medical errors during the labor and delivery of a baby can result in a lifetime of permanent damage. A brachial plexus injury or Erb’s Palsy, can occur in 1–3 births out of 1,000 births. For over 30 years, the legal team at Dillon Findley & Simonian, P.C., in Anchorage, has been fighting on behalf of medical negligence victims all throughout Alaska. Our medical malpractice attorneys are from Alaska themselves, know the facilities and sustems in Alaska, and they are passionate about seeking justice and compensation to right the wrongs of medical mistakes, especially for families who have a child that suffered a birth injury.

What Is A Brachial Plexus Injury?

A brachial plexus injury is an injury that can occur during childbirth when a baby’s neck is stretched to the side during childbirth. A network of nerves near the neck called the brachial plexus control and connects all of the nerves in the corresponding arm to allow for movement and feeling in the arm, hand and fingers. There are four types of nerve injuries that can occur with a brachial plexus injury:

• Neurapraxia is a stretch injury that stresses the nerves but does not tear them.
• Neuroma is a stretch injury in which some of the nerves are damaged and scar tissue presses on healthy nerves.
• Rupture is a stretch injury in which the nerves are damaged and ripped.
• Avulsion is a stretch injury where the nerves are torn from the spinal cord.

The condition can range in severity, based on the damage involved. For example, if the nerves were stressed but not torn, a full recovery may be possible. However, there is no way to repair nerves that were torn from the spinal cord. In birth injuries, the damage is usually n the upper nerves of the brachial plexus. This condition is commonly known as Erb’s Palsy. If both the upper and lower nerves are affected and stretched, this is a global or total brachial plexus birth palsy and is more severe than Erb’s Palsy.

How Does A Brachial Plexus Injury Occur At Birth?

A brachial plexus injury can occur at birth and as a complication of a difficult delivery when:

• The baby is breech,
• The baby is large,
• Labor is prolonged,
• Force is used to extract the baby.

A majority of infants will fully recover from any damage within the first few months of their lives. Lasting damage from a brachial plexus injury can include weakness in the affected arm, a loss of feeling in the arm, hand or fingers or even paralysis (partial or total) of the arm. For those babies who do not make a full recovery, they face a lifetime with a permanent disability. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys represent families who are facing a lifetime of permanent injury from medical negligence that resulted in an injury at birth.

Was Your Baby Injured At Birth? Call A Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today.

At Dillon Findley & Simonian, P.C., we offer a free case evaluation and consultation. Our medical malpractice attorneys can answer your questions and tell you more about how we can help you with your case. You can schedule your free consultation today by emailing us through our website, or by calling our office at 907-519-0668.