Fort Lauderdale Erb’s Palsy Lawyer 

Erb’s palsy is the result of a brachial plexus injury, which is when this bundle of nerves in the shoulder gets stretched, pulled, or torn. This can happen as a result of shoulder dystocia, or when the child’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone. If the nerves don’t work properly—meaning the baby has trouble controlling their arm, hand, or fingers—the resulting condition is called “brachial plexus palsy.” 

Erb’s palsy, the most common of these palsies, per Cleveland Clinic, is when the upper nerves of the brachial plexus have been damaged. 

If Any of the Following Types of Medical Negligence Occurred During Labor & Delivery, Your Child’s Erb’s Palsy May Have Been Preventable:

• Failure to recognize and address fetal distress
• Failure to properly handle prolonged labor
• Failure to order an emergency C-section
• Misuse of forceps and/or vacuum extraction
• Mishandling a baby in breech position (a breech birth)

Please note: High birth weight, diabetes, the use of oxytocin or an epidural, and birthing twins or triplets all increase the risk of shoulder dystocia and, in turn, Erb’s palsy. Your medical provider should have assessed your and your baby’s various risk factors and approached childbirth with these factors in mind. Ignoring these factors, your concerns, and your symptoms are common indicators of malpractice.