The birth of a child should be one of the most joyous occasions in life. As expectant parents, you have completely entrusted the care and delivery of your precious child to a team of medical professionals. But what happens when that trust has been misplaced and your child suffers a devastating injury such as Erb’s palsy in the birth process due to their negligence? If you suspect medical negligence is the cause of your child’s birth injury, an experienced Erb’s palsy attorney in St. Paul from Kuhlman Law can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Nothing can ever prepare a parent for a birth injury, but they happen far more frequently than you may realize. Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus injury that can occur in an infant at birth. While some brachial injuries are mild and quickly heal, some more severe cases can affect a child long-term and require expensive surgeries or other medical interventions. If your child’s Erb’s palsy was caused by your child’s medical provider or team, you may be entitled to compensation for their negligence.
At Kuhlman Law, our skilled team of attorneys can help you seek compensation for your child’s injuries and other damages. Allow an experienced Erb’s palsy attorney in St. Paul from the Kuhlman Law team to handle your birth injury case and assist you during this difficult time. Medical malpractice is a complex area of the law and requires a specialized understanding of medical processes and access to medical industry professionals. Let us help you get the justice your child deserves.
What is Erb’s palsy?
Erb-Duchenne paralysis, or Erb’s palsy, is an injury to the group of nerves that send messages from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, and hand called the brachial plexus. It is a relatively common birth injury that can result from shoulder dystocia (when the child’s arm gets stuck in the birth canal) or from methods used by the medical staff during the delivery process. Depending on the severity of the injury, it can resolve by itself over time, or it may require surgery and physiotherapy.
When Medical Negligence Causes Birth Injuries
While some birth injuries are unavoidable, many could have been avoided with proper professional care during the birth process.
Doctors and other medical staff have a duty to uphold the highest standard of care in the delivery room. When the birth of a child is not handled to this standard, the provider, other medical staff, and even the facility can be held accountable for any injuries that result.
If your doctor or delivery team acted negligently during the birth of your child, you may be entitled to bring a medical malpractice suit against them. Let an Erb’s palsy attorney in St. Paul from Kuhlman Law handle your birth injury case and help you get the compensation and justice you deserve for their negligence.
What Can Cause Erb’s Palsy?
During delivery, a baby’s shoulder can get caught in the birth canal and press against the birth mother’s pelvic bone. The attending doctor and birth team are trained to deal with difficult deliveries and to use medically recognized methods of removing the infant in these cases.
But when a delivery is not properly monitored, a problem is not recognized, or these methods and tools are not used properly, this negligence can result in an injury. Some examples of medical negligence in a St. Paul Erb’s palsy claim include the following:
- Failure of the doctor or medical team to recognize and diagnose a prenatal condition or risk factor
- Failure to warn the patient
- Failure of the doctor or medical team to use proper medically-recognized resolution
- Improper use of tools such as vacuum extraction or forceps
- Pulling too hard on the baby’s head at delivery
- Improper use of drugs used to speed labor
- Failure to consider a cesarean section delivery or delaying a C-section
Unfortunately, Erb’s palsy injuries can require expensive surgery and rehabilitative therapy and, in some cases, lead to long-term complications. Were it not for the medical team’s negligence, these injuries could have been completely avoided.
Holding a Medical Provider Accountable in an Erb’s Palsy Claim
When an infant’s Erb’s palsy is caused by medical negligence, the family can be burdened with steep costs for medical interventions such as surgery and physical therapy through no fault of their own.
If your baby’s Erb’s palsy injury was the result of medical negligence, your providers should be held accountable for their errors. Allow an experienced and compassionate birth injury lawyer in St. Paul from Kuhlman Law diligently handle your birth injury case so your child can heal and live a healthy life. Contact us at (612) 444-3374 or through our online contact form to schedule a no-cost consultation.
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