Erb’s palsy is a common but serious birth injury characterized by paralysis of the arm and shoulder. While some children can recover from Erb’s palsy over time by following a vigorous therapy plan, others will experience limited mobility or paralysis in the affected arm for life. If your child has suffered an Erb’s palsy injury because of a medical mistake in Jackson, Mississippi, don’t hesitate to call Singleton Schreiber for help.

You have the right to file an Erb’s palsy lawsuit to recover compensation for the costs and consequences of your child’s birth injury – not limited to current medical bills, costs for future medical treatments, your lost income, and their diminished earning capacity. Our experienced Jackson, MS Erb’s palsy attorneys are ready to help your family demand the life-changing financial award you deserve in the wake of such a difficult diagnosis.

Singleton Schreiber has helped injury victims and families across the United States recover more than $3 billion in damages from healthcare providers, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and other powerful adversaries. Now, we’re ready to fight for your child’s best interests and future in their Erb’s palsy case, too.

Contact our personal injury law firm in Jackson, MS, today to schedule a free consultation.

What is Erb’s Palsy?

Erb’s palsy, or Erb-Duchenne paralysis, is a neurological birth injury affecting the group of nerves in the brachial plexus that limits a child’s ability to move their arm.

Specifically, Erb’s palsy can occur when the nerves in C5-C6 of the cerebral spinal cord are damaged or severed. Most often, these types of injuries are seen when a child’s neck is stretched, pulled, twisted, or overextended during birth.

Signs of an Erb’s palsy injury often include:

Weakness or paralysis in one arm
Tingling in the hand and arm
Difficulty moving or rotating the elbow
Reduced muscle tone
Weak grip
Inability to bear weight on one arm

Children with Erb’s palsy may appear to keep their arm bent at the elbow, with the lower arm hanging below it, palm facing backward.

Jackson, Mississippi Erb's Palsy Attorney

Is Erb’s Palsy a Common Birth Injury?

Erb’s palsy is the most common type of brachial plexus injury. Research suggests that Erb’s palsy affects between 1 and 3 children out of every 1,000 live births in the United States.

For context, this means that anywhere between 35 and 130 children born in Mississippi last year would have likely been diagnosed with an Erb’s palsy injury.

Unlike many other types of birth injuries, which can affect a child for the rest of their life, between 80 and 90 percent of children who suffer from Erb’s palsy can recover. However, this is dependent on early diagnosis and prompt intervention, which often requires extensive therapies and rehabilitation.

Some children may make a lot of headway during therapy, but still struggle with limited mobility, weakness, spasticity, and other consequences through adulthood.

How Do Medical Errors Cause Erb’s Palsy?

An injury like Erb’s palsy can occur when a child’s neck is subject to excessive, unnatural force during birth.

This can include:

Using improper delivery techniques
Improper use of vacuums or forceps
Pulling on a child’s head or neck

Shoulder dystocia is the most common contributing factor in Erb’s palsy cases. Shoulder dystocia means that one or both of a child’s shoulders get stuck in the birth canal during labor. When this happens, it can be necessary to push or pull on the child’s head and neck to facilitate the delivery.

If a healthcare provider uses too much pressure on the child’s head or pushes the neck into an unnatural position, it can cause serious damage or sever the nerves in the brachial plexus, thereby causing an Erb’s palsy injury.

Who Can Be Liable For My Child’s Erb's Palsy Injury?

In Mississippi, you can bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against any healthcare provider or medical facility that contributed to your child’s Erb’s palsy injury.

This could include a/an:

Obstetrician
Nurse
Surgeon
Midwife
Hospital
Birth center

Hospitals and birth centers can be directly liable for Erb’s palsy injuries that are related to policies, procedures, or negligent hiring. These institutions might also be vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees, including the doctor or nurse who directly caused the brachial plexus injury during labor.

How Much Money is My Child’s Erb's Palsy Lawsuit Worth?

When you file a medical malpractice lawsuit to get damages for your child’s Erb’s palsy injury, its value will be directly related to:

How seriously your child has been injured
The likelihood that your child will recover fully
Potential long-term complications or consequences, such as reduced earning capacity or a need for personal care assistance
Your lost wages and income while you care for your injured child
How Erb’s palsy affects your child’s quality of life

Damages can include compensation for your financial losses (known as economic awards) and the harder-to-value pain and suffering your child experiences because of their Erb’s palsy diagnosis (known as non-economic awards).

The more seriously your child is injured, the more compensation you might be able to receive for related:

Medical bills
Lost income
Disability
Rehabilitation
Therapy
Out-of-pocket expenses
Nursing care
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Physical scarring
Loss of enjoyment of life
Inconvenience

Working with an experienced Jackson, MS medical malpractice lawyer at Singleton Schreiber can help you achieve the best possible case results. We understand how much is at stake and can offer the kind of experience, knowledge, and winning legal strategies your family will need to maximize your Erb’s palsy case results.

Trusted Jackson, MS Erb's Palsy Lawyers Ready to Fight For Your Child’s Best Interests

While most medical malpractice lawsuits in Mississippi are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, it can be extended to seven years, or sometimes longer, when a child suffers a birth injury.

This can seem like a lot of time, but it’s important to get a jump start on your legal fight. The sooner you call Singleton Schreiber for help, the sooner our award-winning Jackson, MS medical malpractice attorneys can begin advocating for your child’s best interests.

You can expect us to investigate the circumstances surrounding your child’s nerve injury, gather evidence to prove your child’s Erb’s palsy injury was caused by medical negligence, and formulate a winning legal case to leverage a life-changing monetary award for your family.

We offer a free consultation, so don’t hesitate to contact our Jackson law office for assistance today.