Brachial Plexus Lawyer & Law Firm in Pittsburgh, PA 

A brachial plexus lawyer at Pribanic & Pribanic has over forty years of experience handling serious brachial plexus claims against the biggest hospitals and doctors throughout the Pittsburgh region. If your child has suffered such harm, our Pittsburgh brachial plexus attorneys are here to help. We represent children and families whose lives have been forever altered by obstetrical malpractice. Our law firm fights for justice and fair compensation on your behalf.

What is brachial plexus?

There is a bundle of nerves that sends signals to your shoulder, arm, and hand. Called the brachial plexus, this nerve network may be susceptible to injury during childbirth in the event of shoulder dystocia or other complications. With shoulder dystocia, the baby’s shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone and requires maneuvering to completely travel through the birth canal. In this and other scenarios where the baby’s neck and shoulders are forcefully pulled or unnaturally stretched, the brachial plexus nerves may become stretched, damaged, or pulled completely from the spinal cord.

Paralysis and Erb’s palsy are consequences of a brachial plexus injury.

Diagnosing Brachial Plexus Injuries

A health care provider can examine the key parts of the body for sensations and function to diagnose a brachial plexus injury by running diagnostic tests, such as:

• X-ray of the neck and shoulder area to identify injuries

• Imaging tests, such as MRI or a CT scan

• Tests that use needle electrodes to determine nerve function and electrical activity

• a nerve conduction study and electromyogram

Four Common Brachial Plexus Injury Symptoms

According to Johns Hopkins, there are four common brachial plexus symptoms:

• Numbness or loss of feeling in the hand or arm.

• Inability to control or move the shoulder, arm, wrist or hand.

• An arm that hangs limply.

• Burning, stinging or severe and sudden pain in the shoulder or arm.

Common Causes of Brachial Plexus Injuries

Can Doctors Cause A Brachial Plexus Injury?

Identifying the cause of your child’s brachial plexus injury will provide the foundation for your birth injury lawsuit. With our resources and knowledge of this complex field, our lawyers, investigators, medical experts, and support staff work together to determine and prove cause. Depending on the case, brachial plexus injuries may be caused during labor or delivery by a doctor or medical care provider in the following ways:

• Mismanagement of shoulder dystocia or breech presentation

• Failure to recommend a C-section

• Failure to diagnose cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) or macrosomia, where the baby is too large to safely pass through the mother’s pelvis

• Misuse of vacuum or forceps in an instrument-assisted delivery

• C-section errors

• Medical malpractice

• Brachial Plexus

• C-Section Errors

• Cerebral Palsy

• Vacuum & Forceps Injuries

• Erb’s Palsy

• Fetal Distress

• Paralysis

• Preeclampsia

• Head Cooling

• Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

• Kernicterus

• Shoulder Dystocia

• Infant Wrongful Death

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If your child was diagnosed with a medical condition and you believe malpractice may be its cause, call 800-392-4529. We offer a free consultation to review your unique case.

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