If you are a victim of clinical negligence, resulting in a birth injury, our highly experienced team of solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler can assist you in the event you wish to complain or seek compensation. For legal advice on making a birth injury claim please contact Paula Nash, Head of Clinical Negligence or one of her team on 0800 954 9936.
The most common types of birth injury, dealt with by our clinical negligence lawyers are:
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Cerebral Palsy
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Shoulder Dystocia
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Brachial Plexus Injury/Erbs Palsy
Cerebral Palsy Claim
An injury during birth could cause cerebral palsy. If the injury was the result of any negligence on the part of the hospital staff managing the birth, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Cerebral palsy, which is the result of a birth injury, can have many different symptoms and there are different types which include:-
- Spastic cerebral palsy
- Athetoid cerebral palsy
- Ataxic cerebral palsy
Each form of cerebral palsy affects the muscles and movement with varying degrees of severity and can cause physical and cognitive impairment.
Cerebral palsy is frequently the result of a baby being starved of oxygen during birth, which causes progressive and irreversible brain damage. Unfortunately, some injuries occur as a result of clinical negligence when a hospital has made errors or failed to provide a suitable standard of care, to include timely intervention in labour.
A baby suffering from cerebral palsy may require a lot of medical care and if you want to claim compensation, it is important to be aware of the legal options available to you.
Shoulder Dystocia Claim
Shoulder dystocia is a birth complication affecting a small number of women and their newborn babies. It occurs in circumstances where the baby's shoulder becomes trapped behind the mother's pelvic bone during pregnancy. Risk factors include:-
- A suspected large baby
- Maternal diabetes
- A family history of shoulder dystocia
Shoulder dystocia can result in a broken bone or clavicle, a strain of the nerves running through the neck, or even shoulder paralysis, which may be permanent.
Sadly, some cases of shoulder dystocia are the result of clinical negligence and could have been avoided. If there is evidence of a lack of all appropriate skill or care, compensation may be payable.
Brachial Plexus Injury/Erbs Palsy Claim
Brachial Plexus birth injury is also known as Erb's Palsy. It is a condition which often arises as a result of Shoulder Dystocia. The brachial plexus is a series of nerves that conduct signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand.
Brachial Plexus birth injury often happens during birth when there is damage to those nerves.
Symptoms include a limp or paralyzed arm, lack of muscle control in the arm, hand or wrist, and a lack of feeling in the arm or hand.
Brachial Plexus birth injury can be temporary, however it is often permanent.
Many Brachial Plexus injuries happen at birth in circumstances where the baby's shoulders have become impacted and the brachial plexus nerves are stretched or torn.
Brachial Plexus birth injury can be a result of medical negligence - if you've been affected by Brachial Plexus you could be eligible to bring a compensation claim.
If you have been affected by a birth injury such as cerebral palsy shoulder dystocia or erbs palsy, and you believe it is due to clinical negligence, contact our lawyers for a free consultation on bringing a compensation claim.
For a free consultation call 0800 954 9936