$650,000 Settlement for Shoulder Dystocia / Erb’s Palsy
- Date: Fall 2009
- Attorney: Carol L. Forte
- Settlement: $650,000
- Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice, Shoulder Dystocia, Brachial Plexus, Birth Injury, Erb’s Palsy
Carol Forte obtained this settlement for a little boy who sustained an injury to his brachial plexus nerves during birth. “Shoulder dystocia” occurs when a baby’s shoulder gets trapped behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery. A doctor or midwife is supposed to use certain maneuvers to free the stuck shoulder. In addition, to prevent injury to the brachial plexus nerves running from the neck through the shoulder/arm, one should not exert excessive force in attempts to deliver the child. In this delivery, the doctor exerted too much traction during delivery, and failed to utilize accepted maneuvers to deliver the child, it resulted in a permanent brachial plexus injury, manifested by physical deformity, and, limited function of the shoulder, arm and hand (Erb’s and/or Klumpke’s Palsy).
For more information with regard to Shoulder Dystocia and Erb’s Palsy, please click here .