What should I do if I think my baby had a brachial plexus injury?

Healthcare providers may have missed signs or diagnoses, mismanaged a high-risk pregnancy, miscommunicated, failed to take the appropriate precautions, failed to deliver adequate care, or not responded with enough speed or expertise in an emergency to prevent injury. If so, that falls into the category of medical malpractice or medical negligence and you can hold them accountable.

Our legal team regularly handles complicated cases like brachial plexus injury lawsuits. We can help you understand the causes of your baby’s injuries and find the experts and specialists to support your claim, as well as determine the future impacts to your family and your baby’s lifetime care and development.

Even if it was unintentional, if a healthcare provider harmed your baby, you may have a right to receive compensation for your medical expenses, follow-on treatment or surgical expenses, adaptive learning, physical and emotional support, and much more. To assess the impact and tell your and your child’s best story, you’ll want the help of a brachial plexus injury lawyer, someone well-versed in the complexities of birth injuries.

What is a brachial plexus injury?

A brachial plexus injury is a type of birth injury that causes damage to the nerves in the baby’s neck and shoulder. The “plexus” is a complex network of nerves that transmits neurological signals from the spinal cord down into the shoulder, arm, elbow, hand, wrist, and fingers. An injury to the brachial plexus can have either temporary or permanent consequences.

What causes a brachial plexus injury or how does it occur?

It typically occurs when the baby’s birth is obstructed from shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulders lodge in the mother’s pelvis during delivery.

If the healthcare provider—in an effort to free the child—uses force or twists the baby’s head while the shoulder remains tightly lodged, it can injure this critical network of nerves. Depending on the action, direction, and force, it can bruise, stretch, or even tear the nerves.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Signs or symptoms of a brachial plexus injury can vary quite a bit, depending on severity and the location of the nerves that were damaged. Typically, only one arm or hand is affected.

  • Pain or a burning sensation in the arm and hand.
  • Temporary or permanent loss of sensation.
  • Temporary or permanent muscle weakness.
  • Inability to flex or rotate the arm.
  • Temporary or permanent paralysis.
  • For some children with a permanent injury, over time the affected arm from the injury may be noticeably smaller than the other.

Are there different forms of brachial plexus injury?

Brachial plexus injuries vary widely. Some injuries may show symptoms for only a few months before healing, if the injury only caused bruising and swelling around the nerves; others may cause permanent disability.

The most severe brachial plexus injury, called avulsion, happens when the root of the nerve is completely torn free of the spinal cord.

Is the condition treatable?

Physical therapy and exercise can help maintain movement and range of motion, as well as prevent muscles from atrophy, while the nerves recover.

Severe injuries may require nerve grafts, or nerve or muscle transfers, to help restore a level of function and sensation to the injured limb.

What are the results or long-term impacts of this condition?

Given enough time, many brachial plexus injuries heal without permanent damage, but some cause permanent disability.

Permanent injury could cause a child to suffer a lifetime of pain, general loss of sensation, lack of muscle control, stiff joints, and muscle weakness or atrophy in the affected limb, or even paralysis.

What should I do if I think my baby had a brachial plexus injury?

Healthcare providers may have missed signs or diagnoses, mismanaged a high-risk pregnancy, miscommunicated, failed to take the appropriate precautions, failed to deliver adequate care, or not responded with enough speed or expertise in an emergency to prevent injury. If so, that falls into the category of medical malpractice or medical negligence and you can hold them accountable.

Our legal team regularly handles complicated cases. We can help you understand the causes of your baby’s injuries and find the experts and specialists to support your claim, as well as determine the future impacts to your family and your baby’s lifetime care and development.

Even if it was unintentional, if a healthcare provider harmed your baby, you may have a right to receive compensation for your medical expenses, follow-on treatment or surgical expenses, adaptive learning, physical and emotional support, and much more.

If your baby has suffered a birth injury, and you’re considering a brachial plexus injury lawsuit, call (503) 203-0015 for a free consultation.

Talk to an experienced birth trauma lawyer.

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