At Sanders & Nettles, our South Carolina personal injury attorneys have earned an excellent reputation throughout the legal industry for our knowledge and skills in personal injury law. We seek to represent families throughout South Carolina whose babies have been the victims of Erb's Palsy, a serious birth injury, many times caused by doctor negligence. At Sanders & Nettles it is our goal to recover the maximum monetary compensation for our clients. If your child has suffered from Erb's Palsy, you should hire aggressive legal representation from Nettles & Sanders immediately.
The labor and delivery of a child places a lot of stress on both the child and the mother. While most deliveries proceed without causing injury to the mother or infant, current research suggests that as many as 3 out of every 1,000 births will sustain a brachial plexus injury, resulting in Erb's Palsy. In some cases this injury is the result of medical malpractice or negligence by the doctor, nurse or medical care provider.
Erb's Palsy occurs when the brachial plexus, a group of nerves controlling the shoulder, arm, and hand movements, is damaged. This injury usually occurs as a result of shoulder dystocia, when the baby's shoulder is caught behind the mother's pelvic area during delivery causing the shoulder muscles and nerves to stretch or rip. This rip or tear may be the result of the baby being pulled by the doctor while its shoulder is wedged behind the mother's pelvis.
While most babies that damage the brachial plexus during delivery regain their normal capabilities, some have serious injuries of varying degree, such as no muscle control or feeling in the arm or hand; limited or no use of the shoulder or elbow muscles; restricted use and control of the wrist.
Some symptoms of Erb's Palsy or a brachial plexus injury include:
- Range of motion of the shoulder, arm or hand is limited.
- A limp or paralyzed arm.
- Sporadic changes in sensation or feeling in the shoulder, arm or hand.
- Muscles in the shoulder, arm or hand are weakened.
- Inability to perform average activities involving the shoulder, arm or hand.
- Delay in normal development.
- Head tilts to one side due to a shortened neck muscle.
Erb's palsy injuries can have devastating effects on the lives of the victims and their families. Financial struggle and long-term pain are just some of the hardships that victims of Erb's palsy must endure. If your baby has suffered from Erb's palsy due to a damaged brachial plexus as the result of medical malpractice, you may be able to file a claim to seek monetary compensation for the injuries resulting from a brachial plexus injury. Sanders & Nettles has the knowledge and experience to determine if your health care provider has been negligent. You deserve answers to your questions and to know what options you have.