Portland Brachial Plexus Injury Lawyer
The last thing any family should have to think about when they are delivering a child is that a birth injury could occur. Unfortunately, there are a range of types of injuries that can occur during the labor and delivery process that are caused by the negligent actions of medical professionals. One of those injuries is brachial plexus damage.
At Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, we are here to help if you need a Portland brachial plexus injury lawyer by your side. Let us investigate your claim and work to recover any compensation you may be entitled to.
Portland Brachial Plexus Injury Resources
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Why Choose Our Brachial Plexus Injury Attorney?
What is a Brachial Plexus Injury?
Symptoms of a Brachial Plexus Injury
How Birth Injuries Occur Due to Medical Malpractice
Potential Compensation in Your Birth Injury Case
Oregon Statute of Limitations for Birth Injury Cases
Speak to Our Lawyer Today
Why Choose Our Portland Brachial Plexus Injury Lawyer?
- At Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC, we bring years of experience handling complex birth injury claims, and we understand medical malpractice laws in Oregon.
- We focus exclusively on clients who have sustained injuries caused by the negligence of others because we believe in obtaining justice for those harmed by others.
- Our Portland birth injury attorney is very selective about the number of cases that they take on, which allows us to provide personal attention to every client that we help.
What is a Brachial Plexus Injury?
The brachial plexus is actually a series of nerves that send signals from the spinal cord, out through the shoulder, and down to the arm and hand. When the nerves in this brachial plexus system are damaged, this can lead to significant disabilities for those involved. These nerves can be damaged by being stretched, compressed, or even completely ripped apart from the spinal cord.
“Stingers” are considered minor brachial plexus injuries, and it is not uncommon for these types of injuries to occur when playing sports such as football, soccer, rugby, and other fairly physical contact sports.
However, newborns can also sustain brachial plexus injuries during the labor and delivery process. In some cases, these injuries can occur in infants due to the natural birthing process, but often, medical errors lead to brachial plexus injuries.
Symptoms of a Brachial Plexus Injury
There are various types of symptoms individuals can experience if they sustain a brachial plexus injury, some less severe and some more severe.
Less Severe Brachial Plexus Injuries
When minor damage occurs as a result of the brachial nerves becoming stretched or compressed, these stingers can produce a range of symptoms. Typically, this includes feeling a burning sensation shooting down the arm or something like an electric shock. Additionally, minor brachial plexus injuries can result in numbness and weakness in the arm. In many cases, these injuries only last for a few seconds or minutes, but they can linger for a day or more. These are more common with sports-related injuries.
More Severe Brachial Plexus Injuries
More severe brachial plexus injuries can result in significant compression on the nerves in this area or a tear or rupture of the nerves. The most serious types of brachial plexus injury happen if the nerve root is torn away from the spinal cord.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of severe brachial plexus injuries include an inability or weakness with certain muscle groups in the shoulder, hand, or arm. Additionally, these severe injuries could result in a complete lack of motion from the shoulder down, as well as severe pain.
If a child sustains a severe brachial plexus injury, their fingers could bend in a way that looks like they have a claw instead of a regular hand. This means that the child cannot move their fingers, and they cannot feel their fingers. If a child cannot use their arm or raise their arm over their head, this is a sign of a brachial plexus injury.
Additionally, this type of injury could result in severe pain for a child in their hand, arm, or neck area, and there could be abnormal muscle contractions.
How Can a Brachial Plexus Injury Arise Due to Medical Malpractice?
Brachial plexus injuries in infants are likely to occur at the time when the doctors are retrieving the child out of the birth canal. If medical professionals use too much force on the shoulder, this could result in brachial plexus injuries. If the shoulder hits the pubic bone of the mother, this could lead to nerve damage in the brachial plexus area.
These types of medical errors are more likely to occur if the feet are delivered first. Typically, babies are delivered at first, which is safer and less likely to lead to birth injuries.
Labor and delivery are also more likely to be longer and more complicated if the child is abnormally large, if the mother is obese or has diabetes, or if the child has underdeveloped neck muscles. The more time a child spends in the birth canal, the more likely it will be for them to sustain brachial plexus injuries.
Common examples of medical malpractice causing brachial plexus injuries include:
- Not trying to turn the infant before delivery
- Failing to perform a c-section when one is warranted
- Applying too much force when removing when using forceps or a vacuum device to deliver the child
- Failing to prepare for a difficult birth by examining the facts of the situation (the position of the baby, mother’s medical condition, mother or child’s vital signs, etc.)
- Pulling on the infant too hard physically
Potential Compensation in Your Birth Injury Case
Parents of children who have sustained a brachial plexus injury may be able to recover various types of compensation for their losses. Our medical malpractice attorney in Portland works diligently to ensure families recover both economic and noneconomic losses for birth injuries, which can include the following:
- Complete coverage of all medical bills related to treatment
- Coverage of physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Payment to care for any long-term physical rehabilitation needs
- Lost income if a parent cannot work while caring for their child
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering damages
Oregon Statute of Limitations for Birth Injury Cases
In Oregon, families have to abide by a statute of limitations of two years for birth injury claims. This is the same amount of time for traditional personal injury claims in Portland. This two-year timeframe begins on the date when the injury occurs or when it becomes apparent that the injury was caused by their medical error. In some cases, children may not show signs of a birth injury until weeks or months after the date the injury actually occurs.
Speak to Our Portland Brachial Plexus Injury Attorney Today
If your child sustained any type of brachial plexus injury caused by the negligent actions of a medical professional in the Portland area, contact the team at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC for help as soon as possible. We have the resources needed to help with every aspect of your claim. Our goal is to ensure our clients are treated fairly and that they are well represented in front of insurance carriers and a personal injury jury. When you need a Portland brachial plexus injury lawyer, contact us for a free consultation of your claim by filling out our contact form or calling (503) 226-6361.