Las Vegas Brachial Plexus Injury Lawyers
Strong advocacy for newborns in Nevada who have birth injuries
At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, we have built a national reputation for tackling the toughest cases. Our Las Vegas brachial plexus injury lawyers are here to help when an act of negligence hurts your baby. Our team has obtained more than $1.5 billion in recoveries for clients throughout Nevada. Let us help you, too.
$485 Million
Claggett & Sykes trial team secured a $485M verdict against Acadia Healthcare, Inc., for its involvement in placing children in a foster care home with a known child predator. We believe this is the largest single-plaintiff sexual abuse verdict ever.
Quick Questions
- What are brachial plexus injuries?
- What are the symptoms of brachial plexus injuries in newborns?
- How are brachial plexus injuries diagnosed?
- How are brachial plexus injuries treated?
- Can you sue a doctor in Las Vegas for a brachial plexus injury?
- Do you have a Las Vegas brachial plexus injury lawyer near me?
The Cleveland Clinic defines the brachial plexus as a “network of intertwined nerves that control movement and sensation in your arm and hand.” They continue:
The brachial plexus begins at your neck and crosses your upper chest to your armpit. Injury to this network of nerves often happens when your arm is forcibly pulled or stretched or your head and neck are forcibly pulled away from your shoulder. Babies can experience brachial plexus injuries while in the uterus or during delivery. This injury is called neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP).
The three types of brachial plexus injuries are:
- Stretch injuries (neuropraxia). This injury is due to a mild stretching that damages the nerve’s protective covering. This injury may heal on its own or require physical therapy.
- Rupture. This injury can cause a partial or complete tear that can be repaired with surgery.
- Avulsion. This serious injury happens when the “nerve root tears away” from your baby’s spinal cord. Surgery is required to regain function. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most serious brachial plexus injury happens “when the nerve root is torn from the spinal cord.”
Babies who suffer from a brachial plexus injury may have related injuries, including:
Erb’s palsy
Erb’s palsy is a common birth injury affecting the shoulder – which means doctors should anticipate the injury and be prepared to prevent it. Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus injury that involves the upper nerves in the plexus. Erb’s palsy “is a nerve condition in the shoulder and arm that results in weakness or loss of muscle function.” Your infant can have a partial or full loss of motor function in the shoulder, arms, or hands.
Klumpke’s palsy
According to the National Institutes of Health, “Klumpke palsy, named after Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke, is a neuropathy involving the lower brachial plexus.” This type of palsy (loss of motor function) “involves the more cephalic portion of the brachial plexus C5 to C6.”
Shoulder dystocia
According to Medical News Today, shoulder dystocia happens when the head of a baby emerges but “their shoulders remain trapped behind the pubic bone of the birthing parent.” Shoulder dystocia is a medical emergency that can harm both the baby and the mother. “In most cases, a doctor or midwife considers the condition to be shoulder dystocia if the baby’s shoulders do not emerge within one minute.” In some cases, changing the baby’s position can help. “In severe cases, a physician “may need to break an infant’s collarbone to deliver them or perform an emergency cesarean delivery.”
Shoulder dystocia complications include reduced movement, difficulty moving the arms and hands, the need for surgery, a broken clavicle, a broken humerus, hypoxic brain injury, and death.
The symptoms vary depending on the type of brachial plexus injury. Common symptoms in newborns include:
- Lack of movement in your child’s upper or lower arm or hand.
- Absent Moro reflex (startle response) on the affected side.
- Your newborn will hold their arm against their body “with their arm extended (straight) at their elbow.”
- A reduced ability to grip on the affected side.
In adults and children, doctors examine the patient’s nerve groups. The Cleveland Clinic notes that the pattern “by which nerves from the brachial plexus control different muscles of your arm and hand will help your provider identify potential sites of nerve injury.”
In newborns, the doctor should conduct a physical examination to see if the infant can move their lower or upper hand or arm. The Moro reflex (startle response) is also absent on the side of the injury.
For newborns, if brachial plexus injury is expected, a physician may order an X-ray of their collarbone to see if it’s broken. “Neonatal brachial plexus injuries can mimic a condition called pseudoparalysis. This happens when an infant has a fracture and isn’t moving their arm because of pain, not because they have nerve damage.”
Your doctor should check whether your newborn has other injuries. Often, if your newborn has a brachial plexus injury, he/she may have shoulder, arm, or rib fractures, vein or artery injuries, a collapsed lung, a spinal cord injury, or a traumatic brain injury.
Many healthcare professionals will be involved in the care of your newborn – which is one reason we demand maximum compensation for your child’s injuries and pain and suffering. These doctors include neurologists, neurosurgeons, hand surgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and a family doctor. The cost of seeing all these healthcare professionals is expensive.
Treatments for brachial plexus injuries include nonsurgical care and surgery. For newborns with a mild brachial plexus injury, gentle massaging and range-of-motion exercises can help. For newborns with severe damage, a pediatric surgeon may consider surgery “if your baby’s strength doesn’t improve by three to nine months of age.” Surgical procedures for adults include repairing the nerve(s), nerve grafts, and nerve transfers. All surgeries have some risks, including anesthesia complications, infections, and excessive loss of blood.
Nerves take a long time to heal, which means the recovery time for any surgeries can take months. Some newborns may need to live with the trauma of their brachial plexus injury for the rest of their lives.
At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, our Las Vegas birth injury lawyers file lawsuits against hospitals, nurses, the supervising physician and any other responsible healthcare professionals who failed to follow standard procedures. Some examples of negligence, per the Cleveland Clinic, which can lead to brachial plexus injuries include:
- Stretching of the baby’s shoulders during a head-first delivery
- The baby’s head and neck are pulled toward one side as their shoulders pass through the birth canal
- Pressure on the infant’s raised arms during a feet-first (breech) delivery.
An additional risk factor that obstetricians should anticipate and monitor includes prolonged labor.
Do you have a Las Vegas brachial plexus injury lawyer near me?
At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, we meet clients at our Las Vegas office located at 4101 Meadows Lane, Suite 100. We’re near Springs Preserve and Meadows Mall. We meet parents and children at their homes and hospitals if your child is too ill to come to our office. We also speak with clients by phone and video.
We’ll answer all your questions and explain the entire claims process.
Speak with our accomplished Las Vegas brachial plexus injury lawyers today
You expected a fully healthy baby. You now must cope with medical appointments and concerns about your infant’s future. We understand your hurt and your anxiety. At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm Law Firm, we are respected by former clients, insurance companies, and defense lawyers for our unique ability to represent children who have long-term birth injuries. We’ll fight for the full compensation you and your child deserve including the cost of medical care, pain and suffering, loss of function, and loss of quality of life. To schedule a free consultation with a Las Vegas brachial plexus injury lawyer, call us or complete our contact form today.