Indianapolis Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

• Auto Accident
• Birth Injury
• Birth Defects
• Cerebral Palsy
• Plane Crash
• Prescription Error
• Prescription Medications
• Sitemap
• Resource Links

• General Practice
• Criminal Defense
• Custody Divorce Family Paternity
• DUI OWI Traffic Tickets
• P I Accident Wrongful Death
• Blogs

Some of the most common birth defects (or injuries) are two very different conditions known as cerebral palsy and Erb's (or brachial) palsy. Cerebral and Erb's palsy are often the result of complications during child delivery itself, though cerebral palsy can sometimes occur before or some time after delivery. If your child was injured at birth, consult an attorney to learn your rights to compensation. A Attorney experienced in birth injury litigation can help you learn what your rights are.

If you need our Indianapolis Cerebral Palsy Attorneys, contact us now!

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the generic term for a number of disorders affecting a baby's brain function and body movement. It can be the result of an injury to a baby's brain in the womb, during delivery, or some time after birth. It can also be caused by a lack of oxygen flow to a baby's brain during delivery.

Some situations that can cause or contribute to cerebral palsy include:

• A treating physician/obstetrician's failure to recognize the need to provide adequate oxygen to the baby
  
  
• A mother's use of a harmful prescription drug during pregnancy
  
  
• Prolonged bleeding in the baby's brain after delivery, usually due to head trauma
  
  
• Extremely premature birth
  

Symptoms of cerebral palsy in a child may take some time to show up, but can include the following: slow development in terms of rolling over, crawling, smiling, and talking; abnormal or decreased muscle tone, or "floppiness" of limbs; unusual posture; poor co-ordination; involuntary movements; and vision or hearing problems.

Erb's (or Brachial) Palsy

Erb's (or brachial) palsy occurs in about two out of every 1,000 child deliveries, when a baby suffers injury to the brachial plexus The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that travel from the spinal cord up the arm, supplying the arms and hands. Erb's palsy results most often during delivery when excessive pressure is put on the baby's head, neck, or shoulder because of difficulty delivering the shoulder area (known as "shoulder dystocia"). The condition occurs most frequently in babies of higher-than-average birth weight, and can happen when forceps or vacuum devices are used with too much pressure during delivery. The brachial plexus is simply stretched too far until important nerves are torn or ruptured. Symptoms of Erb's palsy can include paralysis or limpness in a baby's arm, limited or no movement in hands and fingers, and loss of sensation in the hands and fingers. Often the baby will simply hold the affected arm very close to the body, and will appear to be unable to move the arm itself, the hands, or the fingers.

Complications from Erb's palsy are typically the result of a treating physician/obstetrician's:

• Failure to recognize that a caesarean section should have been performed, based on the baby's size
  
  
• Failure to adequately deliver the baby in situations involving "shoulder dystocia"
  
  
• Use of excessive pressure on the baby's head, neck, or shoulder during delivery

Erb's palsy usually results in a baby's inability to fully rotate and flex his or her arm, and if a nerve is torn during delivery, permanent nerve damage may result. If no tearing has occurred, bruising and swelling around the nerve should subside and normal movement become possible in a few months. If a baby is diagnosed with Erb's palsy, treatment and therapy such as immobilization of the arm and special exercises may help to improve or eliminate the condition. If the condition is severe or permanent enough, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. An attorney experienced with medical malpractice and birth injuries can assess your situation and discuss your legal right to compensation for your injuries. Contact your attorney to arrange a consultation.

Lawfirm@worldwideattorney.com

317.572.7717 Bloomington
317.572.7717 Carmel
317.572.7717 Crown Point
317.572.7717 Elkhart
317.572.7717 Fort Wayne
317.572.7717 Gary
317.572.7717 Hammond
317.572.7717 Indianapolis
317.572.7717 Kokomo
317.572.7717 Merrillville
317.572.7717 Mishawaka
317.572.7717 Muster
317.572.7717 South Bend
317.572.7717 Valparaiso
317.572.7717 West Lafayette

Common Causes of Indiana Truck Accidents
There are nearly 150,000 accidents involving large “big rig” trucks every year. Since Indiana is considered the center of the traffic patterns in the country it has more than its share of the truck accidents. Additionally, almost 10% of all automobile accident fatalities involved one of these large trucks—typically en route to making a delivery. [...]

Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuits
Punitive damages are awarded over and above compensatory damages and are designed to punish the wrongdoer and to deter similar conduct on the part of others. Punitive damages are awarded only when the defendant’s behavior is willful, intentional, reckless, outrageous or malicious in some way. As a consequence, punitive damages are typically not available in [...]

Nominal Damages as Injury Compensation
Nominal damages are small token awards given when the judge or jury finds the defendant has technically committed a tort, but the plaintiff did not suffer any harm as a result. Usually, nominal damages consist, as the name suggests, of a mere nominal amount of money such as $1 or $10. If you or a [...]

Compensatory Damages in a Personal Injury Claim
Compensatory damages are the most common form of monetary award in successful personal injury lawsuits. This is true because most personal injury lawsuits are based on negligence. As a general rule, plaintiffs in simple negligence cases may recover only compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are monetary payments intended to make the plaintiff “whole.” That is, they [...]