Erb’s palsy is a significant diagnosis for a young child, potentially leading to long term health problems. Oftentimes, Erb’s palsy is a preventable illness.
If someone involved in the pregnancy, delivery, or aftercare of your baby made an error or acted in a negligent manner, he or she could have caused the injury that led to your child’s Erb’s palsy diagnosis.
Both a doctor’s (or nurse’s) action and inaction may be to blame for an Erb’s palsy diagnosis. Large fetal size and shoulder dystocia often lead to the brachial plexus birth injury that causes Erb’s palsy. If the medical team attending you during your pregnancy failed to inform you of your baby’s larger size or breech presentation, they may be liable.
A Tuscaloosa Erb’s palsy lawyer is ready to help with your case. If you choose to hire the Birth Injury Lawyers Group, our team will stand by your side throughout your fight, including in the courtroom. Call us at (800) 222-9529 for a free consultation.
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You May Be Entitled to Compensatory Damages
You may have the right to seek compensation if someone else caused injury to your child. You could receive compensation for medical costs, physical therapy costs, potential surgery costs, and emotional distress for the family (among other losses). A lawyer can help you fight for these damages.
Your child’s health depends on the quality of their treatment after birth. Most children recover from Erb’s palsy, but they may not be able to do so if they are not treated. A settlement from the liable party can help you pay for such necessary care.
Erb’s Palsy Treatment
The ability for doctors to successfully treat an Erb’s palsy injury depends in large part on the severity of the injury. Nerves that have suffered significant damage during delivery may never heal completely, leaving the baby with some physical problems as he or she ages.
Other times, the nerves may heal on their own, especially if the initial injury was minor. In a case like this, the nerves may have stretched during the birthing process, causing Erb’s palsy signs to appear. Within a few weeks in a mild case, the symptoms ease, and the baby is able to regain normal function of the upper arm and shoulder area.
Your Child May Need Surgery
In some Erb’s palsy cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to attempt to repair the damaged nerve.
A surgery to treat Erb’s palsy should take place at about six months after birth. Surgeries that occur later in the baby’s life will have a lesser chance of success.
Surgery does not always work to cure Erb’s palsy, however. Sometimes, medical personnel cannot determine if surgery was fully successful until several years after the procedure takes place, because the nerve regrowth may take several years.
Physical Therapy May Be the Best Option for Your Child
One option for doctors attempting to treat Erb’s palsy is through the use of physical therapy.
Doctors and the parents of children affected by Erb’s palsy may make a choice to pursue this form of treatment in a case where the nerve was stretched only slightly. The use of physical therapy can keep the baby’s muscles and joints healthy while waiting for the nerve to heal. Symptoms of Erb’s palsy prevent the baby from moving his or her arm at a full range of motion, so physical therapy is an important treatment option.
After surgery in an Erb’s palsy case, a doctor may recommend physical therapy to help a baby maintain flexibility in the joints and strength in the muscles while healing from surgery.
A lawyer can help you once your child obtained an Erb’s palsy diagnosis and is seeking treatment. Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529.
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Keep Your State’s Statute of Limitations in Mind
Alabama limits the time you have to take legal action due to damage caps in medical malpractice cases. Make sure you are aware of this timeline. A lawyer can help you understand whether your case could benefit from any exceptions that would allow you to bypass this limitation—like tolling (as your child was an infant when they were injured.)
You should not wait to take action. If you miss the timeline and cannot utilize and exceptions, you will lose your chance to pursue compensation and potentially prevent a similar injury to another child. Let us help you hold the negligent medical professional who harmed your child responsible for their action or inaction.
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We Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
Oftentimes, you will notice signs of an injury related to Erb’s palsy within a few hours after the birth. If you have concerns, you should let medical personnel know immediately.
It is also possible that a doctor or nurse could notice the signs of Erb’s palsy several days after the birth during a checkup appointment. Babies can begin treatment for the signs of Erb’s palsy within a few weeks of birth, which means an early diagnosis is helpful for the long-term health of the baby.
You should not have to face a diagnosis of Erb’s palsy on your own. Consider hiring a Tuscaloosa Erb’s palsy lawyer to help with your case.
A Birth Injury Lawyer Can Be Your Advocate in This Difficult Time
If you find yourself confused by some of the terminologies a doctor is using when discussing an injury your son or daughter may have suffered at birth, you may want to contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group for a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation to help pay for vital treatment and physical therapy.
Your family deserves to focus on your child and their recovery. We want to fight on your behalf. Reach out to the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today at (800) 222-9529.
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