Portland Brachial Plexus Injury Claim Lawyers

We Look Out for You and Your Family

At The Law Offices of Patrick L. Block, P.C., we are dedicated to providing exceptional legal representation and counsel to our clients in Oregon. We know how devastating and difficult it can be to deal with birth injury claims, such as brachial plexus injuries, especially when a doctor's medical malpractice is to blame. Our Portland birth injury lawyer is here to take the legal burden off your shoulders. Let us put our 20+ years of experience and insight to work for your case today. We will not rest until we have obtained the just outcome our clients' deserve!

What is a brachial plexus injury?

The brachial plexus is the nerve network that acts as the messenger between the spine and the shoulder, arm, and hands. When these nerves are damaged, either by stretching, compression, or tear, the damage can either be short-term and cause minor weakness, or long-term and cause a complete lack of movement. The damage depends on the type of injury and where it occurs in relation to the spine.

The following are types of brachial plexus injuries:

Avulsion – when the nerve is pulled from the spinal cord
Rupture – nerve was stretched and partially torn
Neurapraxia – nerve was gently stretched or compressed but not torn
Axonotemesis – axons of the nerves have been severed
Neurotemesis – when the nerve is divided

Some forms of this injury, particularly those that involve tearing, have very poor prognoses for recovery, which means that your child may be forced to live through the damage for years to come. This can result in extensive medical bills for physical therapy treatments and even corrective surgery. Furthermore, your child's quality of life may be unnecessarily diminished. If such an injury was caused by an obstetrician's negligence, it is easy to feel frustrated and angry. It is for this reason that The Law Offices of Patrick L. Block, P.C. want to help hold incompetent practitioners accountable for their actions.

Was my child's injury caused by malpractice?

When a birth injury like brachial plexus injury occurs, it can be a very overwhelming and confusing time. What was the cause of the injury? Was it preventable? Could anything have been done differently? While some cases may not have any medical solution, others could be avoided with proper attention and effective care. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, often revealing medical malpractice.

In one case handled by our attorney, a baby born in 2004 suffered a disabling injury to their right arm during a vaginal birth after doctors from the Oregon Medical Group failed to inform the mother of the risks due to the child’s birth size and previous birthing complications and did not offer her the choice of a Cesarean section. During delivery, the baby's arm got stuck, resulting in a permanent and disabling brachial plexus injury. The family was awarded $1.375 million in non-economic damages and $557,881 in economic damages for this preventable injury.

Numerous issues can cause brachial plexus, such as:

Allowing the shoulder to become lodged
Excessive pressure on the infant's head
Delay in C section procedure
Lack of preparation for a breech birth
Misuse of labor-inducing drugs
Incorrect use of vacuums
Failure to use forceps correctly
Lack of follow up or monitoring an infant after birth

Having an infant is one of the greatest joys in life. Nothing is more exciting than waiting for the arrival of your precious child. When a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional makes a crucial error that harms your baby, you have every right to take action. When someone you loved has been unnecessarily injured, our Portland medical malpractice lawyer is here to aggressively pursue legal consequences on your behalf.

Stand Up to Negligent Obstetricians

Was your child injured during a birth because of a negligent nurse or doctor? The Law Offices of Patrick L. Block, P.C. is ready to help. We can conduct thorough investigation into the cause of your child's injury to determine whether or not the obstetrician failed to live up to the standard of care. As a team of attorneys led by a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Oregon, you can be sure that your case will be in the right hands.

Brachial plexus is a very preventable condition, especially when proper medical care and preparation are taking during pregnancy and birth. However, when a doctor or health care provider does not perform their duty of care, it can lead to devastating birth injuries. If you believe your child's injury was caused by a physician or staff member's negligence, do not hesitate to contact our firm.

We encourage you to begin by filling out a free case evaluation.