Brooklyn Erb’s Palsy Attorneys
Childbirth carries the risk of many medical complications, including the risk that the child will suffer injuries as he or she passes through the birth canal. If the mother’s pelvic bones form a small birth canal or the fetus is large, the passage may be difficult, causing injury to the newborn.
A birth injury known as brachial plexus palsy, or Erb’s palsy, can be caused by this complication. If your child suffers from Erb’s palsy, medical malpractice may have contributed to the condition. As a parent of a child with Erb’s palsy, you may be entitled to compensation to help with your child’s past and future medical treatment and the pain and suffering it has caused.
The New York lawyers of Schwartzapfel Truhowsky Marcus P.C. are skilled at proving that Erb’s palsy was a preventable condition -- and we can help you. We serve clients throughout Brooklyn, New York, including Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Park, Flatbush, Park Slope, Coble Hill, Clinton Hill, DUMBO and Borough Park. If you suspect your child’s birth injury was a result of medical malpractice, please call the attorneys at Schwartzapfel Partners at 1.800.966.4999 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.
Erb’s palsy is an injury to the network of nerves that extend from the spinal cord through the arms and into the fingertips. The nerves can be stretched during a difficult delivery, resulting in temporary or permanent weakness to the arms or hands. The primary cause of the injury is excess pressure to a baby’s neck or head during delivery, usually after a baby’s shoulders get lodged behind a mother’s pelvic bone. A related birth injury is Klumpke’s palsy, a condition characterized by reduced muscle control or paralysis of the hand or wrist.
The doctor or obstetrician delivering the baby should be trained to recognize when a baby’s shoulder has become lodged under the mother’s pelvic bone and respond accordingly to safely free the infant’s shoulder. Faced with the pressure of a difficult delivery, however, some doctors exert too much force on the baby’s head, which can cause injury. It is this pressure that can cause the stretching or tearing of the delicate nerves that connect to the arms and hands, resulting in Erb’s palsy.
There are recognized indicators of a potentially difficult delivery, such as a baby with a large pre-birth weight, a mother with maternal diabetes, a mother who has gained excessive weight during pregnancy and an abnormally long gestation period. Many cases of Erb’s palsy could have been prevented if the health care providers had taken proper precautions before and during delivery.
The Brooklyn Erb’s palsy lawyers of Schwartzapfel Truhowsky Marcus P.C. are skilled at analyzing the complexities of medical malpractice cases and have been successful in proving Erb’s palsy was a preventable injury.
It’s important to discuss your case with an experienced medical malpractice attorney, and the lawyers at Schwartzapfel Partners have a combined 150 years of experience. Doctors and hospitals that make mistakes that harm people should be held accountable for their actions. We are ready to help you, so please call us at 1.800.966.4999 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation. We will fight for you!
