A brachial plexus is the bundle of nerves that spends signs from the spinal cord and the shoulder. If these nerves are stretched, compressed, or ripped, then the injury is called a brachial plexus injury. Babies suffer brachial plexus injuries when during delivery the shoulder is injured. If your baby suffered a brachial plexus injury, you probably have questions as to why it happened, and if anything could have been done to prevent the injury. In many cases a baby suffers a brachial plexus injury during birth such because the obstetrician and other medical staff mismanaged the labor and delivery process. In other words, mistakes were made. The New York brachial plexus attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates understand how painful it is for parents to learn that their newborn baby has a serious injury. We are here to help. We will use our skill, experience, and knowledge to determine why your baby is injured. We will vigorously pursue a medical malpractice claim on your behalf to ensure that negligent medical professionals are held accountable.
Common causes of brachial plexusBrachial plexus injuries often occur during a difficult delivery that was mismanaged by medical professional. For example, the shoulders if the baby get lodged against the mother’s pelvis, the baby may suffer a shoulder injury. There are a number of reasons that a baby’s shoulders get lodge against the mother’s pelvis. One reason is the size of the baby. If the baby is particularly large, then the baby may struggle to get through the birth canal. However, if the obstetrician properly monitory the baby and was aware of the baby’s size, then the size of the baby could have been taken into consideration when planning the delivery, and an injury may have been avoided.
Similarly, if the baby is large, or if the delivery is prolonged for another reason, the prolonged pressure on the baby’s head while in the birth canal can caused nerve damage in the neck and shoulders. It is up to the doctors to use the proper tools and techniques to minimize the possibility of injury to the baby.
If the baby gets stuck during delivery, the doctor may opt to use delivery tools such as a vacuum extractor or forceps to help with the delivery. Failure to properly use such tools could results in not only a brachial plexus injury, but also other serious injuries to baby including facial injuries, a skull fracture, or eye trauma.
Treating a brachial plexus injuryBrachial plexus injuries sometimes improve within a few months with little treatment. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery may be required to repair the nerves. In other cases the child may have permanent paralysis in the arm, or weakness in the arm. Physical therapy may be required to help strengthen the arm.
Recovering damages for a brachial plexus injuryIn order to hold a medical professional legally responsible for your child’s brachial plexus injury, you must prove that the medical professional was negligent. This means that you must be able to show that the medical professional failed to adhere to the level of skill and care that other competent medical professional would provide. You must also show that due to the medical professional’s negligence your child suffered a brachial plexus injury and suffered a loss.
If you believe that medical negligence led to your child’s injury, with the help of a New York brachial plexus lawyer, you may be able to recover significant compensation that you can use to pay your child’s medical bills that are related to treating the brachial plexus injury—both past and future. This may include physical therapy, surgery, medical equipment, and follow up visits. You can also demand that the negligent medical professional pay you for other out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury, as well as for pain and suffering.
ExamplesMadison’s obstetrician made an error in determining the size of her baby. This caused unanticipated complications during delivery, including the baby getting stuck in the birth canal. The baby suffered a severe brachial plexus injury when the doctor used forceps to deliver the baby. Madison contacted a brachial plexus attorney in New York to help file a claim against the obstetrician.
During the delivery of Sandy’s baby, the baby’s shoulder became lodged against Sandy’s pelvic bone. The obstetrician used an incorrect technique in trying to dislodge the baby’s shoulder. As a result the baby suffered a brachial plexus injury.
Theresa’s baby presented in a breech position. Inexplicably, Theresa’s obstetrician was surprised that the baby was not coming out head first. Seemingly panicked, the obstetrician mismanaged the delivery, causes extreme pressure on the baby’s head, neck, and shoulders. As a result the baby suffered several injuries, including a brachial plexus injury.
Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & AssociatesIf your baby suffered a brachial plexus injury, you want to know what happened. With years of experience successfully representing clients injured by negligent medical professionals, the brachial plexus attorneys serving New York at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates can help you determine whether your baby’s injury was the result of a medical error. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.