The cerebral palsy and birth injury attorneys at Arentz Law Group, P.C. are dedicated to the pursuit of justice for families affected by medical errors that compromise the health and wellbeing of their children.  Cerebral palsy is a condition that is characterized by diminished muscle control and abnormal body movement, and it can be caused by a brain injury that occurs before, during, or immediately after birth.

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy or another birth injury, you may be eligible to recover substantial compensation in a medical malpractice or birth injury lawsuit.  The cerebral palsy lawyers at Arentz Law Group, P.C. are highly experienced in birth injury litigation, and have developed a national reputation for providing compassionate representation while achieving stellar results for our clients.  To learn more about how we can protect your rights and those of your child, contact us today to schedule a legal consultation with a member of our cerebral palsy lawyer team.

How is Cerebral Palsy Caused?

While a definitive cause for cerebral palsy has not yet been identified, we do know that this condition can often be attributed to birth injuries caused by medical errors before, during, or after the delivery process.  Physician errors that may lead to cerebral palsy include:

• Delayed reaction or failure of reaction to elevated blood pressure in the mother
• Delayed reaction to maternal bleeding
• Failure to confer with a specialist during a high-risk pregnancy
• Failure to order a Cesarean section in response to fetal distress
• Failure to react or delayed reaction to changes in a fetuses vital statistics
• Improper use of Pitocin to induce labor
• Incorrect use of a vacuum extractor during delivery
• Lack of pediatrician present to properly assess baby’s health immediately after birth
• Testing errors: failure to order certain diagnostic tests or incorrect analysis of test results
• Waiting too long to deliver after the mother’s water breaks

Is There a Cure for Cerebral Palsy?

There is currently no cure for cerebral palsy, but symptom reduction and quality of life improvement can often be achieved with effective therapeutic intervention.  Many children who have cerebral palsy grow up to lead successful and productive lives, but this often takes a tremendous amount of hard work, family involvement, and professional assistance.  Treatment and therapy for children and adults with cerebral palsy and other birth injuries can be expensive, and many families are not equipped to handle the financial burdens that come with raising a child with special needs.  While no amount of money can make up for your child’s compromised health, money recovered with the help of a tenacious cerebral palsy and birth injury lawyer can help ensure that your child receives the best care and most advanced treatment available.

Brachial plexus injury lawyers at Arentz Law Group, P.C. are prepared to go the distance to ensure that families affected by a birth injury recover the full compensation they deserve.  The brachial plexus is a network of nerves which carry signals from the brain to the shoulder, arm, and hand.  A brachial plexus birth injury is a result of shoulder dystocia, when the infant’s shoulders become lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone.  Brachial plexus injuries can lead to severe nerve damage that can greatly impede or even prohibit that child’s use of the affected limb.  In many cases, a brachial plexus injury is the result of medical errors made during the delivery process: it is often the case that the doctor fails to perform a caesarean birth (C-Section) if a baby is too large for delivery or uses the wrong delivery method.  If your child suffered a brachial plexus injury during birth, medical malpractice could be the cause and you could be entitled to substantial compensation.  To learn more about your rights, contact a brachial plexus injury lawyer today to schedule a free consultation.

Common Types of Brachial Plexus Injuries

The two most common types of brachial plexus injuries are Erb’s palsy and Klumpke’s palsy.

• Erb’s Palsy:  Erb’s palsy is the result of damage to the nerves in the upper part of the brachial plexus.  This is the most common form of brachial plexus birth injury, and roughly 10% of children born with this injury will require surgery.  Erb’s palsy affects movement and feeling in the shoulders and upper arms.
• Klumpke’s Palsy:  Klumpke’s palsy is the result of damage to nerves in the lower part of the brachial plexus.  This brachial plexus injury can lead to paralysis or weakness: most children who have Klumpke’s palsy lack a full range of motion in their hands or wrists.

Brachial Plexus Injury Warning Signs

There are a number of potential early warning signs that shoulder dystocia may be an issue during the birth process.  These include:

• Gestational diabetes
• A large or heavy baby
• Obesity in the mother
• Excessive weight gain during pregnancy in the mother
• Prolonged labor
• Breech birth
• Excessive force during delivery
• Mothers who have a small pelvis
• Mothers who already gave birth to a large baby
• • A very large baby
  • Excessive pregnancy weight gain by the mother
  • Maternal obesity
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Prolonged labor
  • Post-term pregnancy
  • Small pelvis in mother
  • Breech birth
  • Excessive force during delivery
  • Improper rotation of baby’s shoulders during birth
  • Unnecessary lateral traction
  • • Neurapraxia:  The nerve is stretched but not torn
    • Rupture:  The nerve is torn but is not separated from the spinal cord
    • Avulsion:  The nerve is torn away from the spinal cord

Erb’s palsy lawyers at Arentz Law Group, P.C. understand the impact a birth injury can have on a family, and we are dedicated to helping families affected by a birth injury pursue just compensation for their physical, emotional, and financial damages.  Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus birth injury that occurs when a baby’s shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone during childbirth in a condition known as shoulder dystocia.  The result of Erb’s palsy is often severe and permanent nerve damage which can limit or totally prevent that child’s use of the affected arm for the rest of his or her life, and this could lead to a lifetime of costly medical and therapeutic treatments.  In many cases, Erb’s palsy is the result of a mistake made by a healthcare provider during the birth process.  If your child suffers from Erb’s palsy, an experienced birth injury lawyer can help you determine whether medical malpractice led to your child’s injury.  If this is the case, you may be entitled to substantial compensation which can help offset the costs associated with caring for a child with Erb’s palsy.  To learn more about your rights, contact us to schedule a free evaluation of your child’s case.

Erb’s Palsy Injuries

The severity of Erb’s palsy injuries is determined by the number of nerves that have been affected by the dystocia.  Erb’s palsy symptoms and injuries may include:

• Limpness
• Paralysis
• Lack of muscle control
• Decreased sensation
• Motor control difficulty
• Numbness

Types of Erb’s Palsy

There are four types of Erb’s Palsy:

• Neurapraxia:  The nerve is stretched but not torn
• Rupture:  The nerve is torn but is not separated from the spinal cord
• Avulsion:  The nerve is torn away from the spinal cord
• Neuroma:  Scar tissue has grown around the injury, putting pressure on uninjured nerves and preventing these nerves from sending signals to the muscles

Shoulder dystocia lawyers at Arentz Law Group, P.C. have the knowledge, experience, and resources families victimized by birth injuries need to achieve justice and recover the full compensation to which they are entitled.  Shoulder dystocia occurs when an infant’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone during delivery.  If this situation is not properly handled by the medical team, it could lead to a brachial plexus injury like Erb’s palsy, which could cause a lifetime of disability and potential paralysis.  Oxygen deprivation caused by shoulder dystocia may also cause cerebral palsy.  If shoulder dystocia occurred during your child’s birth and you have questions or doubts about your child’s birth injury, trust a lawyer from our firm to discover the true cause of your child’s injuries and hold all parties responsible fully accountable.

Causes and Warning Signs of Shoulder Dystocia

Shoulder dystocia occurs in about 30,000 deliveries every year in the United States.  In many cases, medical negligence or medical malpractice contributes to shoulder dystocia and resulting injuries, most commonly when the doctor fails to order a C-Section if a baby is too large for vaginal delivery or when the doctor uses the wrong delivery method.  Common warning signs and causes of shoulder dystocia include:

Shoulder dystocia occurs in about 30,000 deliveries every year in the United States.  In many cases, medical negligence or medical malpractice contributes to shoulder dystocia and resulting injuries, most commonly when the doctor fails to order a C-Section if a baby is too large for vaginal delivery or when the doctor uses the wrong delivery method.  Common warning signs and causes of shoulder dystocia include:

• A very large baby
• Excessive pregnancy weight gain by the mother
• Maternal obesity
• Gestational diabetes
• Prolonged labor
• Post-term pregnancy
• Small pelvis in mother
• Breech birth
• Excessive force during delivery
• Improper rotation of baby’s shoulders during birth
• Unnecessary lateral traction
• Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractor during birth