Brachial Plexus Birth Injury – Erb’s Palsy

The brachial plexus is a network of motor and sensory nerves connecting the spinal cord with the shoulder, arm and hand.

During childbirth, brachial plexus injuries can occur when a baby is too large to pass easily through the mother’s pelvis, or in a breech position. Sometimes an emergency c-section is necessary to avoid straining or tearing those nerves from the spinal cord during a difficult vaginal delivery. If that call is not made in time and the baby’s neck or shoulders are stretched or compressed in the birth canal while attempting to pull the baby out, it can result in Erb’s palsy. Erb’s Palsy is the nerve condition that can result from a brachial plexus injury, where the shoulder and arm are paralyzed or weakened and muscle function is lost.

Because neural networks are so complex, any nerve injury can cause damage that is permanent or difficult to completely rectify. Treating brachial plexus injuries involves therapy and sometimes surgery.

Brachial plexus injuries are categorized into four types:

• Neurapraxia – the nerve is stretched.
• Neuroma – Scar tissue from the damaged nerve impedes the signals from getting through.
• Rupture – the nerve is torn, but not pulled away from the spine.
• Avulsion –the most serious type of Erb’s Palsy, when the nerve rips completely away from the spinal cord.

With a serious injury such as Erb’s Palsy, there may be damage to the extent that it requires surgery or a skin graft to try to correct.  The costs associated with these kinds of injuries can be significant. If your baby’s nerve injury was due to medical error or negligence, you should be compensated for that in order to help cover the costs of the care your child will need as a result.

If your baby experienced a brachial plexus birth injury following a difficult birth and you feel that injury could have been avoided, please fill out the form on this page to have an attorney review what happened to you and determine whether you have a case.  At Siri & Glimstad, there is never any cost upfront to you for our representation. Our attorneys will evaluate your case for free to see if you have a claim. We get paid only if we win for you!