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_______________________________________________________________ Medical Malpractice and
Erb's
Palsy &
Brachial Plexus Palsy Claims
Medical
Malpractice during the birthing process can result in
Erb's Palsy & Brachial Plexus Injuries. These
birth injuries
can affect the muscle
coordination and body movement in a child's arms and
shoulders. Damage to the brain
during fetal development, the birthing process, or during
infancy can cause
cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy is caused by faulty development or damage to the
motor areas in the brain that disrupt the ability of the
brain to control muscle movement.
If you believe that your child has
suffered cerebral palsy as a result of medical malpractice,
contact Austin Texas Birth Injury Lawyer Jason Coomer
for a free review of your Texas Medical Malpractice Birth
Injury Claim or
use our online submission form.
Erb's Palsy aka Brachial Plexus Paralysis
The terms "erb's palsy" and
"brachial plexus paralysis" are names for a condition which
mainly due to birth trauma can affect 1 or all of the 5
primary nerves that supply the movement and feeling to an
arm. The paralysis can be partial or complete and cause mild
impairment to severe impairment. The neurological disorder
appears in infancy and severe cases are obvious because the
infant cannot control their hand or arm.
Brachial Plexus
Injuries
Brachial Plexus Injuries occur when the brachial plexus, a
network of nerves between the neck and shoulder, is damaged.
Because the brachial plexus conducts nerve signals from the
spinal cord to the arm and hand, when it is damaged
impairment of the arm and hand can occur causing a limp arm.
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves formed by fibers
located between the shoulder and the neck. Most brachial
plexus injuries happen during birth when excessive lateral
traction is applied to the fetal neck region during a
vaginal birth and a traumatic stretching of the brachial
plexus occurs causing damages to the nerves. Brachial plexus injuries
are more common in infants that are larger
than average in size as they have more trouble moving through
the birth canal.
Types of Brachial Plexus Injuries
There
are different types of brachial plexus injuries that range
in severity of impairment and limitations. Children
severe limitations have a limp arm that is not controllable.
These infants will be readily apparent at an early age as
they will not be able to control their arm and will have
trouble turning over and crawling. An avulsion where the nerve is torn
from the spine are the most severe cases. A bit
less severe is a rupture where the nerve is torn
but not where it attaches to the spine allowing some
nerve impulses. A neuroma occurs when the damaged nerve has tried
to heal but scar tissue has grown around the injury
placing pressure on the injured nerve praxis. While the
nerve has been damaged, it has not been torn and
improvement is possible.
Symptoms of Brachial
Plexus Injuries
Symptoms of Brachial Plexus Injuries are usually
obvious. A baby suffering from a Brachial Plexus Injury or Erb's
Palsy can be determined by the lack of ability to use the
affected arm. Infants with Erb's Palsy have no muscle control and no feeling in
the affected arm or hand. In less severe cases,
the child may have little control of shoulder and arm movements,
but may have some use of their hands. In more severe
cases the entire arm may be paralyzed with
the hand and fingers hanging limp. The infant may
also have facial paralysis on the affected side
as well as may not able to sit up without assistance
or be able to crawl without the
use of therapeutic devices.
Treatment for Erb's
Palsy
Treatment for Erb’s Palsy generally
consists of physical therapy to improve
functionality of joints and muscles. In some
cases, babies born with Erb’s Palsy will greatly benefit
from surgery and surgical
procedures can increase their arm functions. Since most
children with Erb’s Palsy have damage to multiple nerves of
the brachial plexus, more than one procedure may need to be preformed.
Causes of Erb's Palsy and Brachial Plexus Injuries
Medical mistakes during the labor and delivery process
are to blame for thousands of children with nerve damage. Unfortunately, many parents don't realize that their
healthcare provider might be to blame for their child's
neurological problems. If your child suffers from a brachial
plexus injury or other neurological problem you may want to
determine if:
1. The fetal heart pattern of
the your infant was strong and a vaginal birth
was in
both the child's and mother's best interest.
2. Was there a hyperstimulation
of the uterus and if so were the correct drugs
administered at the correct levels and were other drugs
including the use of oxytocin discontinued at the
correct time.
3. Were there abnormal pressure
readings and if so was an intrauterine pressure catheter
used
4. Was this a diabetic
pregnancy and was there abnormal post glucola test.
If so, was it properly acted upon.
5. Was reasonable care taken to
avoid placing too much pressure on the fetus including
avoiding lateral traction on the head of the fetus at
the time of delivery? Were proper techniques such
as the McRobert's maneuver or the corkscrew maneuver
used, instead of simply applying supapubic pressure
during delivery?
Federal and Texas Medical Malpractice Claims
Federal Tort Claims and Texas Medical
Malpractice Claims are
some of the most complicated types of cases in the practice
of law. As a Texas medical malpractice birth injury lawyer that has handled
medical malpractice claims, I have worked with other Federal
Medical Malpractice Brachial Plexus Lawyers, Texas Medical Malpractice
Birth Injury
Lawyers, and Texas Brachial Plexus Palsy Lawyers to seek compensation from negligent doctors
and negligent health care providers that
have severely injured or killed infants or mother through medical
mistakes and medical carelessness during prenatal care or
the birthing process.
If you have a medical negligence claim
regarding a brachial plexus injury, Cerebral Palsy, wrongful death, shoulder dystocia,
or other serious injuries against a Federal
Hospital, Texas Hospital, medical doctor, or other health
care provider, feel free to contact Texas Medical Negligence
Birth Injury
Lawyer Jason Coomer.
To have a successful claim, you have to
have another doctor state that medical malpractice occurred
and it resulted in damages. This negligence has to be
more than just a bad result or judgment call, it has to
deviate from the standard of care in the medical community. If you need a Federal Medical Malpractice
Birth Injury
Lawyer or a Texas Medical Malpractice Birth Injury Lawyer, feel free to
contact Austin Birth Injury Attorney, Jason S. Coomer.
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