$700,000 Settlement for Shoulder Dystocia / Erb’s Palsy

Carol Forte obtained a $700,000 settlement in a Shoulder Dystocia/Erb’s Palsy case. “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. This delivery was done by the attending and resident doctors. There were four hands on the baby’s head as the head was inappropriately rotated in an effort to free the shoulder. A permanent brachial plexus injury ensued, causing the child to have limited function of her shoulder, arm and hand (Erb’s Palsy).