Erb's Palsy

Erb’s palsy is a nerve injury that can occur during the birth process. It can occur if a medical professional exerts too much force in extracting an infant from the birth canal and this causes injuries to the shoulder or the brachial plexus nerve network. An early symptom of this disorder is a limp arm. The infant may exhibit this symptom immediately after birth and the condition may not improve. In some cases, the injury is permanent.

If your child has been diagnosed with Erb’s palsy, you will want to get legal advice. You may have a medical negligence claim in Miami or your community and compensation from pursuing a legal claim can help you pay for your child's medical care, allowing you to provide the best care possible for your child. To find out what options are available to you, contact the Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 to arrange for a free accident consultation to discuss your situation.

It can difficult to determine whether you have a medical malpractice claim in Miami or your community. You will want to ask yourself:

• Was it a difficult delivery?
• Were medical instruments such as forceps used?
• Did you feel that your concerns were ignored?
• Was there a sense of concern or urgency on the part of medical staff in the delivery room?
• Was the baby born with a limp arm and were your questions about it not answered to your satisfaction?
• Did they call in senior doctors?
• Did you need a cesarean section?
• Was pressure applied above the baby? This is never acceptable as it can cause injury.
• Do you believe there was excessive force used in extracting the child?

These questions can help you determine whether you have a claim. Even if you are not quite certain, it is useful to consult with a personal injury attorney, who can often help you review medical records and can launch an investigation to determine whether negligence or recklessness was a factor.

Erb’s palsy can cause many serious symptoms for infants, including

• Limp arm
• Atrophied arm
• Loss of feeling in the arm
• Paralyzed or non-functioning arm
• Weakness in the affected arm

Daily physical therapy and motion exercises are often prescribed from the time a child is 3 weeks old. If there is no improvement within six months, a doctor may recommend exploratory surgery. Nerve surgery may not make an arm fully functional, however, and it can take months or years to determine whether nerves repairs at the neck have a positive impact on the hand or lower arm. In some cases, children will need multiple surgeries, well into their childhoods and even beyond, in order to help recover some range of motion. However, in many cases the condition is permanent and child will experience some weakness or motion problems with an arm, hand, or shoulder for a lifetime.

If your child has sustained a birth injury in Miami hospitals or another hospital, it is important to consult with a personal injury attorney. You can always reach The Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. The Flaxman Law Group is a full-service law firm with offices in Hollywood, Miami, and Homestead. The legal professionals at the law firm have more than 25 years of experience helping personal injury victims and birth injury victims across South Florida. Contact the staff today to find out what the law firm can do for you.