Erb’s Palsy

Our Attorneys Represent Children with Erb’s Palsy in New Jersey

Let our lawyer-doctor help your family meet the challenges of birth injuries

The brachial plexus is the network of nerves in the shoulder and neck. These nerves can become stretched or torn during childbirth, usually because of medical negligence. Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial injury. The condition affects one or two of every thousand babies in the United States. Minor brachial injuries typically heal over time, but more serious damage may cause permanent disabilities.

Seigel Law has advocated for injured children in Ridgewood, Hackensack, Fair Lawn, Teaneck, Garfield, Fort Lee, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth and Clifton since we founded our practice in 1976. Our attorneys recognize the challenges you face when your baby sustains birth injuries. We help you recover the money necessary to provide your child with quality medical treatment and to improve quality of life. At your free initial consultation, we answer your birth injury questions and devise a strategy tailored to the facts of your case.

Symptoms of Erb’s palsy in your newborn

Erb’s palsy is characterized by muscle weakness, loss of sensation and, in the most severe cases, paralysis. Symptoms of Erb’s palsy may be obvious right away or may not manifest for several weeks after your newborn’s birth. Common signs of brachial injury include:

  • Arm flexed at the elbow and tucked into the body
  • Not moving the affected arm or hand
  • Decreased grip
  • Delayed or absent reflexes
  • No reaction to touch

Risk factors for brachial plexus injuries

Your obstetrician has a duty to recommend a C-section if vaginal delivery is likely to increase your baby’s risk of injury. Some risk factors your doctor should have considered include:

  • Breech position of the infant
  • Larger-than-average baby
  • Mother being overweight or diabetic
  • Mother having small or unusually shaped pelvis
  • Use of labor-inducing drugs, such as Cervadil, Pitocin or Cytotec
  • Mother having history of difficult, prolonged labor

Obstetric mistakes that cause brachial and Erb’s palsy

Brachial injuries typically occur when the baby’s head and neck are pulled to one side at an awkward angle during passage through the birth canal. Your doctor may have made a variety of medical errors that could result in Erb’s palsy, including:

  • Failing to recommend C-section for high-risk births
  • Pulling on the baby’s head or shoulders during delivery

Consult with a knowledgeable medical malpractice lawyer about your baby’s brachial injuries

Seigel Law is dedicated to medical malpractice recovery — including birth injuries to your baby. Call our law firm at 201-444-4000 or contact us online to schedule your free initial appointment with our New Jersey lawyer-doctor. If your injuries prevent you from traveling to our office in Ridgewood, we schedule appointments in your home or at the hospital. You do not owe us attorney fees unless we recover damages through a verdict or settlement, so there is no risk in pursuing your rights to compensation.