Brachial Plexus Injuries

The brachial plexus is a system of nerves responsible for sending signals from your spine to your arms, hands, and shoulders. During birth, brachial plexus injuries occur in Miami and Florida hospitals when the nerves are stretched because the child’s shoulder is pressed down forcefully or the head and shoulder are pulled away from each other. This type of injury can happen if vacuum extractors or forceps are used incorrectly or if too much force is used by medical staff during a birth. Brachial plexus injuries occur most often in prolonged labor or in breech presentation. They can occur any time force is used to pull the baby free or in any situation where the infant’s shoulders get stuck in the birth canal.

If your child has sustained this type of injury, it is important to get qualified legal advice from an experienced personal injury attorney in Miami or South Florida. Your child's injuries may require expensive medical treatment, and seeking compensation through a legal claim ensures that you have the financial resources to help your child as much as possible. To find out what options are available for you and your family, contact the Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation.

Infants who sustain brachial plexus injuries may suffer throughout their lives. In some cases, children grow with reduced stamina and strength because of birth-related brachial plexus injuries. Reduced or damaged nerve supply means that the body has fewer functioning muscular units and those that do exist are smaller and weaker. Permanent injury can mean that the nerve supply to affected areas (such as the back, shoulder, chest, arms, and hands) is never recovered and these areas may not be able to function normally. Infants who sustain brachial plexus injuries may also face a lifetime of reduced motion and dexterity, malformed joints, muscle atrophy, impaired bone growth, limb length discrepancy, joint dysfunction, an increased risk of osteoarthritis, and many other issues.

There are treatments available. Nerve grafting surgery can help recover some nerve supply to affected areas, although in many cases it cannot completely heal the affected areas. Therapy and exercise are also often prescribed to help strengthen muscles. While these treatments can help, there is no way to completely restore muscle strength in a body where nerve supply has been affected.

Of course, all treatments require money and can be expensive, which is why many parents who have been affected by birth injuries seek the help of a personal injury attorney in Miami or their community. Launching a medical malpractice lawsuit in Miami or your community can ensure that you have the money available to provide the best treatment possible for your child.

If you would like more information about laws that are designed to protect you and your family, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free accident consultation to discuss your situation. The Flaxman Law Group legal team has more than 25 years of experience helping families and personal injury victims in Miami and across South Florida. The legal team has dealt with a number of cases and has already successfully recovered more than $25 million on behalf of personal injury victims.