202.879.7777

No Fee Unless We Win | Free Consultation

  • Brachial Plexus Palsy

Brachial Plexus Palsy Injuries • Help When You Need It Most

Dedicated Washington, D.C. birth injury attorneys fighting for the futures of children

Affecting the network of nerves that control the movement of the upper limbs, brachial plexus injuries can occur from traumatic events at any point in life. While some of these injuries can potentially heal over time, they can also leave individuals with long-term or permanent disability. But when these injuries occur at birth, parents face the devastating knowledge that their children may suffer the effects for every day of their lives.

Doctors cannot prevent all obstetric brachial injuries. But some can be avoided with appropriate care during delivery. The Washington, D.C. law firm of Jack H. Olender & Associates, PC has the unparalleled medical and legal resources needed to help uncover the causes of an obstetric brachial plexus injury. We are dedicated to helping parents hold negligent medical providers accountable for long-term or permanent injuries to newborns.

The two types of brachial plexus palsy

Medical science categorizes brachial plexus injuries based on the location of the nerve injury. Erb’s palsy typically affects motion near the shoulder and through the elbow because of damage to the upper brachial plexus nerves. Damage to the lower brachial plexus, which affects movement in the wrist and hand, is called Klumpke’s palsy.

Within these two types, the severity of trauma to the nerves affects the prognosis for recovery. In addition to tumorous growths called neuromas, Johns Hopkins Medicine identifies the following types of potential damage caused by injury:

  • Avulsion is the most serious injury, with no chance for recovery because the nerve has been pulled out from the spinal cord.
  • Neurotemesis has a poor prognosis because of the division of the entire nerve.
  • Rupture involves a stretched and partially torn nerve that has some chance of recovery through surgery.
  • Axonotemesis is caused by damage to severed axons that transmit messages through the body and has a moderately favorable prognosis.
  • Neurapraxia has an excellent prognosis for recovery because the nerve is stretched or compressed but not torn

How brachial plexus injuries occur

Adults can suffer brachial plexus injuries from trauma sustained during high-speed motor vehicle accidents, blunt-force contusion or violent trauma such as a gunshot wound. But infants can sustain this type of birth injury because of difficulty delivering the shoulder during childbirth, causing it to lodge against the mother’s pelvic bone.

Obstetricians cannot always prevent brachial plexus injuries during a difficult delivery. But this type of trauma can be caused by medical malpractice when the doctor pulls too hard on the shoulders during delivery. Washington, D.C. parents cannot usually identify the true causes of brachial plexus palsy injuries to their newborn without detailed investigation. With a variety of in-house medical resources, the firm of Jack H. Olender & Associates, PC is uniquely qualified to provide the level of support families need.

Let our team help you

At Jack H. Olender & Associates, PC, every case is approached as a team. We combine our attorneys’ 200 years of malpractice and injury law experience produce an indomitable resource for victims of avoidable tragedies.

Contact us to see the difference our exceptional medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury attorneys can make in your case and in your life.

There is no risk

The firm generally works on a contingent (percentage) fee arrangement, so no legal fees are paid if money is not recovered on your behalf. We practice in District of Columbia and Maryland courts.

Proven strategies. Unparalleled success.

Our Experience and Success Recognized