Kenneth Berkowitz, partner at the New Jersey personal injury law firm Blume Forte, obtained a $500,000 settlement on behalf of a young girl who suffers from limited use of her left hand due to a brachial plexus injury she sustained during her delivery.
According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), the brachial plexus is a nerve network in the neck which controls movement and sensations of the shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand. This nerve network can be damaged by excessive stretching and/or pressure. One of the reasons for such an injury in newborns is inappropriate resolution of shoulder dystocia, which occurs when the newborn’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone during birth. The obstetrician must properly utilize specific maneuvers required to free a newborn’s trapped shoulder without causing injury.
In this particular case, the child sustained the brachial plexus injury while the on-call obstetrician attempted to resolve shoulder dystocia. Even after years of physical therapy, the child still has restricted use of her left hand.
If your child suffered a birth injury as the result of medical negligence in New Jersey, you may have the right to pursue civil action. The experienced NJ birth injury attorneys at Blume Forte have experience in handling complex birth injury cases and are committed to providing meritorious claims with effective legal representation.
To determine whether your potential claim may have merit, call us for a no-cost consultation at 973-845-4421.