Erbs Palsy injuries are caused by an injury to the brachial plexus, which is a network of nerves that conduct signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand.
Brachial plexus injuries are often caused as a result of traumatic childbirth and depending on the extent of nerve damage the injury can cause paralysis of the arm.
Claims arising as a result of an erbs palsy injury include the following:
– Failure to test, recognise or treat gestational
diabetes (gestational diabetes can result in a
big baby)
– Failure to identify a large baby before delivery,
particularly where family history or previous
deliveries are indications of a large baby
– Failure to follow protocols for shoulder dystocia
– Application of unnecessary and excessive traction
or force on the baby’s head during delivery
– Failure to perform a caesarean section despite
clinical indications to do so
Depending on the severity of the damage to the brachial plexus nerves it can result in complete avulsion injury, where the nerves are torn from the spine, to a praxis injury where the nerves are damaged but not torn.
