What Is Brachial Plexus?
The term “brachial plexus” refers to the nerves that transmit signals from the spinal cord to the hand, arm and shoulder. Injuries often occur when these nerves are stretched or torn. Brachial plexus injuries are common during birth, especially when the baby is pulled or physically manipulated by the doctor, with or without an instrument. As babies move through the birth canal, their shoulders sometimes become wedged, especially if the labor is long or the baby is in breech position. If the doctor uses too much force to pull the baby free, the brachial plexus nerves will be damaged.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Brachial Plexus?
A brachial plexus injury usually affects only one arm. In moderate cases, the child’s arm will be numb or weak. The child may also feel burning sensations or electric shock pain in the affected limb. Symptoms may last only a few minutes, or they may linger for days. In a severe case of brachial plexus injury, the nerves will be torn or ruptured. In such cases, the child may be unable to move his or her shoulder, elbow, hand and/or fingers. Severe brachial plexus injuries also cause extreme pain in the affected limb.
Related Issues
Erb’s Palsy is also known as Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. Palsy often simply means weakness. Most Brachial Plexus injuries and some Erb’s Palsy heals quickly on it’s own. Generally, erb’s palsy medical malpractice cases are only worth pursuing in the event of lasting injury, needing compensation for significant damages.
What can a Brachial Plexus lawyer do for you?
If your child was born with a brachial plexus injury and you believe that medical personnel may be to blame, a brachial plexus injury lawyer may be able to help you take legal action against the parties at fault. After you hire a brachial plexus lawyer, he or she will review your child’s medical files to determine whether the doctor or hospital was responsible for your child’s injury. Your attorney may also research your doctor and hospital to learn more about their operations and standard protocol.
If your attorney determines that you have a valid case, he or she can file a lawsuit on your behalf. If you win the lawsuit, there may be damages awarded to compensate for the injury.
Find a Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy Lawyer
When you are ready to find a brachial plexus injury lawyer, you can begin your search on our website. We provide statistics on lawyers, so you can compare injury lawyers based on real results. We provide a wealth of statistics and other information that you can use in the decision-making process. Before you choose a lawyer, make sure that you compare lawyers based on the effectiveness of their services. For more assistance, feel free to contact us. You can also click Erb’s Palsy Lawyer to learn more.
Sources: