Hudgell Solicitors Can Help You Make an Erb's Palsy Claim

Erb's Palsy is caused by nerve damage in the shoulder, arm and hand. This can lead to paralysis and other problems.

This birth injury can be the result of medical negligence. This birth injury is often caused by a difficult or rushed birth.

Causes

Pregnancies and births usually go smoothly, however, on the rare occasion something could go wrong. Hudgell Solicitors will assist you when your child suffers from a disability that was caused by medical negligence such as Erb's Palsy.

Erb's palsy is a weakness that causes paralysis of varying degrees in the shoulder and arm and affecting the brachial nerves. These nerves send electrical messages to the muscles, allowing them to move. Injury to the brachial plexus can cause an inability to grip and move the affected hand.

There are a variety of causes of Erb's syndrome. Erb's Palsy can be caused by shoulder dystocia, which is a condition that occurs when the baby's skull becomes stuck above the mother’s pubic bone. It is more frequent in women with certain risk factors like gestational diabetes, large babies or infants. Shoulder dystocia is a medical emergency, and it is imperative that doctors recognise this and understand how to respond swiftly to avoid complications for the baby. It could also occur if you use forceps, vacuum extractors or emergency Cesarean.

Signs and symptoms

Erb's Palsy is characterized by a lack in movement of the arm or hand affected, as well as an inability to grip. Typically, symptoms manifest within 6 to 12 months following birth.

The brachialplexus is a nerve network that connects the spine to both sides of the neck. It regulates movement and sensation of the arm, fingers and hand. If damaged, these nerves could cause weakness or partial paralysis of the affected arm or hand.

It's often caused by the medical error that occurs during childbirth, like the doctor pulling too hard to free a baby's head (shoulder dystocia). It can also happen when the baby is placed in the 'waiter' position during birth and puts strain on the C5-C6 upper trunk nerve system, which is part of the Brachial plexus.

The majority of infants who suffer a stretch injury recover within six to 12 months in most cases, with the exception of cases that are severe enough to require surgery with a nerve graft to restore the injured nerves. If the damaged nerves do not get repaired and rehabilitated, a child could suffer permanent impairment that hinders their ability to move their arm.

Diagnosis

For children suffering from Erb's Palsy there are a variety of treatments to reduce the effects but the injury will never be fully healed. Certain infants suffer from a significant disability and are unable to move their arm, hand or Erb's palsy Lawsuits fingers.

The symptoms result from injury to the brachial plexus which innervates all the muscles of the upper limb with the exception for the trapezius. The injury typically affects the upper trunk of nerves C5 and C6 and less frequently affects C7. This is the most common Erb's palsy sign which is a type of waiter's hand that cannot pronate, or stretch the forearm. In certain cases, nerves damaged may also result in Horner syndrome. It is evident by an elongated pupil and constricted face.

You can file a claim for Erb's palsy lawsuits medical negligence in the event that your child suffers from Erb's Palsy due to the birth. This is because the condition is usually caused by excessive force applied to the baby during birth. This includes using vacuum extraction (ventouse) or forceps used incorrectly. This could include a physician who is unable to manage shoulder dystocia properly, or decides to have the vaginal or breech birth when a caesarean section would be more appropriate.

Treatment

The brachialplexus's nerves control the movement and feel of the hands and arm. If an infant is diagnosed with Erb's palsy, it is a sign that the nerves have been damaged. The majority of babies recover within 6 to 12 months however some suffer from an ongoing disability that affects the movement and sensation of their arm.

The treatment is centered around physical therapy which aims to improve the range of motion of the injured arm. Passive exercises and stretching are a great way to achieve this. A physiotherapist could also recommend an extension splint which will assist in movement and help prevent stiffness. In extreme instances, a nerve graft could be needed to rebuild damaged nerves.

A claim for compensation may assist a child suffering an Erb's Palsy injury live their life to the fullest, and access essential equipment, education, and support. If you believe that your child's Palsy was the result of an error in medical care at the time of their birth, you might be able file a claim for financial damages.

Compensation

A successful lawsuit may give families financial compensation for the treatment they received from their child. It could also provide them with a an appreciation for justice and draw attention to medical professionals that could have prevented a brachial-plexus injury.

Settlements from the Erb's Palsy lawsuits can help cover the cost of physiotherapy for your child in addition to other treatments and equipment needed to help their condition. You could also receive compensation for any lost income or earnings resulting from the disability of your child.

If your child has been diagnosed with erb's palsy, and you suspect that medical negligence played a role in this, it is imperative to reach out to an experienced lawyer for Erb's Palsy as soon as you can. They can provide you with suggestions on how you can proceed and make sure that all paperwork is filed in time. This increases the chances of receiving compensation. Our team of experts in erb's-palsy will assist you in getting the most money you're entitled. This will help you pay for the long-term costs associated with your child's disabilities and make sure that they have everything they require to live a happy, healthy life.