Erb’s Palsy

What Is Erb’s Palsy?

Erb’s palsy, also known as Erb-Duchenne palsy or brachial plexus birth palsy, is a birth injury that affects the strength and movement in a baby’s arm. It happens when the nerves in the shoulder, known as the brachial plexus, are damaged during birth.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that two out of every 1,000 babies experience brachial plexus birth palsy. Damage to the nerves can limit the baby’s ability to move and feel with their arm or hand. Some cases improve with treatment, while others cause lasting impairment.

An Erb’s palsy diagnosis often brings long-term costs that families did not expect or plan for. Erb’s palsy lawyers can pursue compensation that may relieve your financial stress and cover treatment expenses.

Erb’s palsy legal compensation could help cover:

• Assistive devices
• Long-term support services
• Medical care and follow-up visits
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Surgeries

Birth injury claims provide stability, options, and peace of mind, allowing you to focus on your child’s well-being. At Her Case Matters, our partner attorneys have secured more than $1.1 billion to date for families harmed by birth injuries like Erb’s palsy.

Get a free case review now to find out if you qualify to take legal action with help from our legal partners.

What Causes Erb’s Palsy?

Erb’s palsy often occurs during a difficult delivery. Excessive force on the baby’s neck can stretch or tear brachial plexus nerves during a vaginal or Caesarian (C-section) delivery.

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that controls movement and feeling in the shoulder, arm, and hand. These nerves run from the spinal cord, between the neck bones, and into the arm. When these nerves are seriously harmed, a baby may not have normal control over the affected body parts and be diagnosed with Erb’s palsy.

Causes of Erb’s palsy and risk factors may include:

• A breech presentation
• High birth weight
• Improper use of forceps around the baby’s head
• Prolonged labor
• The baby’s shoulder getting stuck behind the birth canal during delivery

In many cases, proper medical care may have reduced the risk of injury. If your baby received an Erb’s palsy diagnosis, get a free case review now to see if you’re eligible to pursue Erb’s palsy compensation claims.

Erb’s Palsy Symptoms

Signs of Erb’s palsy are often visible shortly after birth. Parents may notice differences in how their baby moves one arm compared to the other.

Common Erb’s palsy symptoms include:

• A limp arm
• A weak hand grip
• Weakened or immobile upper arm (in the shoulder and/or elbow)

Parents may notice their baby holding their arm in a “waiter’s tip” position, where the arm hangs, turns inward, and bends at the wrist. If the infant struggles to lift their arm, they may have an Erb’s palsy birth injury.

Types of Erb’s Palsy in Newborns

Erb’s palsy can involve different types of nerve damage within the brachial plexus. The type of injury and how severe it is affect the child’s treatment and recovery.

The four types of Erb’s palsy are:

• Avulsion: The nerve root is torn from the spinal cord
• Neuroma: Tears cause scar tissue to form, putting pressure on nerves
• Neuropraxia: Neck stretching shocks the nerve, which may heal on its own
• Rupture: The nerve has been torn, but not from the spinal cord

The most common type of Erb’s palsy is neuropraxia, but the most serious is avulsion because the nerves are ripped away from the spine and recovery is difficult.

If you’re worried that your child experienced any type of brachial plexus injury, follow up with your pediatrician promptly for a diagnosis.

Diagnosis of Erb’s Palsy

Doctors primarily diagnose Erb’s palsy with a physical examination. They look for muscle weakness, limpness, or a lack of movement in the affected arm.

“After a difficult delivery or shoulder dystocia, a nurse should quickly assess movement in the affected arm, comparing it to the unaffected side.”

— Katie Lavender, RN, Labor & Delivery

They may also recommend getting magnetic resonance imaging (an MRI scan) to visualize the damaged nerves and decide if surgery is necessary.

An Erb’s palsy diagnosis can be shocking and scary. If your child was recently diagnosed, you may be eligible for compensation to help pay for the treatments they’ll need. Call (877) 640-6101 now to learn more.

Treatment Options for Erb’s Palsy

Treatment depends on the type of Erb’s palsy and the severity of the injury. Babies diagnosed with Erb’s palsy at birth may begin nonsurgical treatment during the first few months of their lives.

Range-of-motion exercises at home, physical therapy, Botox, and aquatic therapy may increase function in the affected hand or arm. Doctors might recommend surgery for Erb’s palsy in severe cases in addition to therapy.

If necessary, surgical options for Erb’s palsy could include:

• Nerve grafts: Implanted nerve grafts bypass your child’s injury to restore function
• Nerve transfers: Surgeons build a neural connection close to your baby’s arm muscle
• Neurolysis: Surgeons remove the scar tissue preventing your child’s nerve functionality

While it can be scary to know that your child needs long-term treatment to recover from Erb’s palsy, compensation may help you cover their ongoing care with greater peace of mind.

Get a free case review to learn more about your options.

Erb’s Palsy Prognosis

Generally speaking, Erb’s palsy has a favorable prognosis or long-term health outlook with treatment. 80-96% of babies with Erb’s palsy recover completely within the first year of their lives. 100% enjoy a full recovery if they get treatment within four weeks of their birth.

How long does it take to recover from Erb’s palsy? Erb’s palsy full recovery time varies, with many cases ranging from 18 months to 3 years according to New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery.

However, some children face lifelong challenges if they don’t access treatment soon enough, or if they have suffered a severe brachial plexus injury.

Kids may experience long-term effects of Erb’s palsy, such as:

• Abnormal function in their joints or range of motion
• Decreased stamina and strength
• Impaired bone development
• Impaired coordination and balance
• Limb length discrepancy
• Muscular atrophy
• Osteoarthritis (joint disease)

Some children may never fully recover from Erb’s palsy, but consistent therapy and surgeries could still help to repair damaged nerves and improve their quality of life.

How to File an Erb’s Palsy Lawsuit

Medical professionals had a duty to protect your child and deliver them safely. If negligence or preventable errors led to an Erb’s palsy diagnosis, it could be in your best interest to get justice by filing a lawsuit.

Filing an Erb’s palsy lawsuit on behalf of your child may result in compensation so that the financial burdens of treatments, therapies, and daily necessities don’t fall on your family.

At Her Case Matters, we’ve partnered with experienced birth injury attorneys who can help file a lawsuit on your behalf. This means that you can focus on helping your child heal while still pursuing legal compensation.

You may be eligible to file Erb’s palsy lawsuits by:

• Getting a free case review to see if you qualify to take legal action
• Providing evidence of your child’s birth injury
• Speaking with an Erb’s palsy attorney who can file a lawsuit for you

Take the first step now by calling (877) 640-6101 to find out your eligibility for an Erb’s palsy lawsuit. Our team is ready to hear about your baby’s birth story and provide clarity.

Notable Erb’s Palsy Settlement Amounts

Families contact the Erb’s palsy law firms in our network because they love their kids and want to give them the best possible care. Compensation can provide peace of mind while making your baby’s treatments easier to afford.

Previous Erb’s palsy lawsuit settlements include:

• $60.9 million to a patient who had a brachial plexus injury after the doctor placed pressure on their shoulder during the birth
• $3.07 million to parents in Michigan after their daughter experienced an Erb’s palsy brachial plexus injury
• $1 million to a person whose brachial plexus was injured during her birth
• $950,000 to a woman whose child had a brachial plexus injury that affected her right arm
• $225,000 to a child who lives with a permanent brachial plexus injury

Therapies can improve your baby’s quality of life. Seeking compensation will hold medical professionals accountable, ease your financial stress, and give your child the best chance at a full recovery.

Get a free case review now to find out if you’re eligible to pursue an Erb’s palsy settlement.

Get Help From a Brachial Plexus Lawyer

Many cases of Erb’s palsy are preventable. When medical providers fail to respond properly during a difficult delivery, the consequence may change a child’s life forever.

Her Case Matters helps families understand whether their child’s diagnosis may be the result of medical negligence. When appropriate, we connect families with our partner law firm.

The skilled Erb’s palsy lawyers in our network have secured $1.1 billion for children impacted by birth injuries like brachial plexus palsy.

Call (877) 640-6101 or get a free case review now to learn more about your legal options and find support resources.