Brachial Plexus Injuries
Brachial plexus injuries are most commonly caused by a difficult natural delivery when a baby is too large to exit the birth canal or a mother’s pelvic inlet is too small. A baby’s shoulder becomes stuck on the mother’s pubic bone during the birthing process, a complication known as shoulder dystocia. If a baby’s head is twisted or the neck is bent improperly during delivery, the nerves extending from the spinal cord in the neck may be stretched or even severed.
This bundle of nerves is called the brachial plexus and sends nerve impulses to the arms. When damaged, it can result in partial or total paralysis of the arm on one or both sides of the body. While a slight brachial plexus injury may heal itself, a severe injury frequently requires surgery and extensive medical procedures to bring about normal functioning of the arm.
When there are complications related to the baby’s proper delivery, the doctor needs to be attentive and perform specific maneuvers to avoid injury to the child. Doctors can often (and should) foresee shoulder dystocia and take preventative measures to avoid brachial plexus injuries by performing a cesarean section which will eliminate the need for birth canal passage. If this procedure isn’t available, an obstetrician may be able to help move the baby while protecting the brachial plexus.
Kent M. Lucaccioni, Ltd has successfully recovered medical malpractice settlements for victims of brachial plexus injuries. If you have reason to believe this was the case in your delivery, our lawyers are here for you.
Elgin Erb’s Palsy Attorney
Kent M. Lucaccioni, Ltd., have worked on some of the state’s most complex medical malpractice and birth injury cases. This has given us insight into what’s necessary to bring a strong case when our clients have been injured. Our contingency-based approach, which fuses compassion, a dedication to extensive research, and a commitment to accountability and well-being has obtained, to date, more than $100 million for clients in personal injury cases.
We encourage you to reach out to discuss your case.
To discuss any aspect of Illinois birth injury in a free initial consultation with one of our Chicago brachial plexus injury attorneys, call 877-930-2551 or e-mail us.
