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Tampa Brachial Plexus Injury Lawyers
More than 35 years of experience representing birth injury victims in Florida
Brachial plexus injuries are a common birth delivery danger. Obstetricians and hospitals should understand the risk factors and be ready to take appropriate action to prevent a brachial plexus injury. At MattLaw, our birth injury lawyers have the experience and working relationships with medical professionals to show what went wrong in the delivery room and who should be held accountable. Our Tampa brachial plexus lawyers demand compensation for your child’s full range of medical needs, their pain and suffering, and their loss of bodily function. Call us today if your child suffered a brachial plexus injury.
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- What are brachial plexus injuries?
- What are the signs my child has brachial plexus?
- What causes a newborn in Tampa to have a brachial plexus injury?
- How is a brachial plexus injury diagnosed in Tampa?
- What are the treatments for a brachial plexus injury in Tampa?
- Who do you hold accountable if my newborn has a brachial plexus injury?
- Do you have a Tampa, Florida brachial plexus lawyer near me?
What are brachial plexus injuries?
“The brachial plexus is the group of nerves that sends signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, and hand. A brachial plexus injury happens when these nerves are stretched, squeezed together, or in the most serious cases, ripped apart or torn away from the spinal cord.”
The Cleveland Clinic states that a plexus is a “bundle of intersecting nerves, blood vessels or lymphatic vessels in the human body.” “Brachial means ‘relating to the arm or to a structure resembling the arm.”
According to Merck Manuals, the causes of brachial plexus injuries include “shoulder dystocia, breech extraction, or hyperabduction of the neck in cephalic presentations.” Brachial plexus injuries can be caused by a simple stretching of a brachial plexus nerve, bleeding within a nerve, tearing of the nerve or root, or “avulsion of the roots with accompanying cervical cord injury.” Additional associated injuries may include a broken clavicle.
Brachial plexus injuries may involve the
- “Upper brachial plexus (C5 to C7): Affects muscles around the shoulder and elbow.”
- “Lower plexus (C8 to T1): Primarily affects muscles of the forearm and hand.”
- “Entire brachial plexus: Affects entire upper extremity and often sympathetic fibers of T1.”
What are the signs my child has brachial plexus injuries?
The symptoms of a brachial plexus injury vary depending on the site and type of nerve root injury.
Symptoms of a brachial plexus injury in newborns include:
- Loss of movement in your newborn's upper or lower arm or hand.
- “Absent Moro reflex (startle response) on the affected side”
- Your newborn holds their “arm against their body with their arm extended (straight) at their elbow”
- A reduced grip on the affected side
Other symptoms include:
- A limp arm
- Paralysis in your child’s arm or hand
- Loss of muscle control in your child’s arm, wrist, or hand
- Numbness or a loss of feeling in your child’s arm, wrist, or hand
- Pain in your child’s arm, wrist, or hand
What causes a newborn in Tampa to have a brachial plexus injury?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, your child may suffer a brachial plexus injury during a difficult delivery if:
- Your newborn’s head and neck are pulled “toward one side as their shoulders pass through the birth canal.”
- Your newborn’s shoulders are stretched during a head-first delivery.
- There is pressure on your newborn’s raised arms during a breech (feet-first) delivery.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “the lower nerves are more likely to be injured when the arm is forced above the head.” If the upper nerves are injured, the condition is called Erb’s palsy.
How is a brachial plexus injury diagnosed in Tampa?
The following tests are used to diagnose whether your newborn or any baby has a brachial plexus injury:
- X-ray.This test examines your infant’s neck and shoulder to see if there are any broken bones or related injuries.
- Electromyography (EMG).This diagnostic test places needle electrodes on your baby’s skin. An EMG “evaluates the electrical activity of the muscles when they contract and when they're at rest.”
- Nerve conduction studies.This test measures “the speed of conduction in the nerve when a small current passes through the nerve.” The test results determine how well your newborn’s nerves are functioning.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).This diagnostic test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show multiple views of your baby’s body. An MRI also helps review the “status of arteries that are important for the limb or for its reconstruction.” Magnetic resonance neurography may also be used to diagnose a brachial plexus injury.
- Computerized tomography (CT) myelography.This test “adds a contrast material, injected during a spinal tap, to produce a detailed picture of the spinal cord and nerve roots during a CT scan.” CTs may be useful if an MRI is inconclusive.
What are the treatments for a brachial plexus injury in Tampa?
While many brachial plexus injuries heal, some may cause long-term or permanent injuries. Our Tampa brachial plexus injury lawyers will review the full extent of your child’s brachial plexus injury, including the following possible complications: stiff joints, pain, numbness, and muscle atrophy. Physical therapy may help with muscle weakness and range of motion. Some of these complications can be especially dangerous. For example, loss of sensation in an arm or hand can cause your child to burn themselves without knowing it.
If your child needs surgery for a brachial plexus injury, that surgery is usually performed before your child reaches six months of age. Brachial plexus surgeries include:
- Neurolysis to free the nerve from scar tissue.
- Nerve grafts and nerve transfers which help create new nerve growth.
- Muscle transfer involving the removal of a less important muscle or tendon “from another part of the body, typically the thigh, transfer it to the arm, and reconnect the nerves and blood vessels supplying the muscle.”
The pain from a brachial plexus injury can be crushing. Medications and surgeries may help. The pain may last for several years. Medications should be used with caution.
Who do you hold accountable if my newborn has a brachial plexus injury?
At MattLaw, our birth injury lawyers file medical malpractice claims against all responsible healthcare providers, including your obstetrician, the delivery hospital, and other members of the birth delivery team.
Our Tampa brachial plexus injury lawyers work with experienced obstetricians, neurologists, and other doctors who can explain what went wrong in the delivery room and what your child’s diagnosis and prognosis are.
We demand compensation for all your child’s medical care and suffering, including all current and future:
- Medical costs
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of bodily function
- All other financial and personal damages
Do you have a Tampa, Florida brachial plexus lawyer near me?
MattLaw meets parents and their children at our Tampa, Florida office located at 304 S Plant Ave., Tampa, FL 33606. We also have a location in St. Petersburg. Our trial lawyers meet newborns with brachial plexus injuries and their parents at their homes and healthcare centers when necessary. Our attorneys also conduct phone and online consultations.
We understand how worried and scared you are. We’re here to guide you through this very difficult time and to fight for your child’s future.
Get help from our respected Tampa birth injury lawyers now
Your child deserves experienced, compassionate representation when doctors make mistakes. At MattLaw, we’ve been fighting for families for more than 35 years. We’re respected by insurance companies and the legal community for our impressive record of results. We have the tenacity and resources to fight for your child. Call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle amputation cases on a contingency fee basis.