Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy, Birth Injuries

Birth injuries can happen to a child well before they are born. And it can lead to long-term health issues for them. These can occur due to medical negligence or malpractice. That is why an experienced birth injury lawyer is someone you need to ensure that you have a case if your child has been diagnosed with a birth injury.

Duffy & Duffy, PLLC are your professional birth injury attorneys that have the experience and knowledge to help you through your case. They know of the types of birth injuries that exist and why they commonly happen. You may be undergoing a great deal of stress due to the round the clock care your child needs due to receiving a birth injury. You don’t have to fight alone. If your child has been diagnosed with a birth injury even months or years after the birth itself, a birth injury attorney may be able to help with your claim.

Some of the most common birth injuries that have been involved in past cases at Duffy & Duffy, PLLC have included Cerebral Palsy and Erb’s Palsy. But they have also fought for plaintiffs that have children who were diagnosed with other injuries. If you are looking for a New York City birth injury lawyer that will advocate for you to get the best result in your claim, Duffy & Duffy, PLLC will be able to help.

Birth injuries can occur before, during, or immediately after delivery. Some birth injuries can be minor and can be healed over time without additional treatment. However, some of them may be severe enough to warrant treatment at the request of a medical doctor. If the injury is serious enough, medical attention will be needed as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, there are some serious birth injuries that are incurable. This means that the child may live with disabilities for the rest of their life. They will be required to depend on daily care and that can take a toll on members of the family that have assumed the role as caretaker.

Your birth injury lawyer in Long Island will help you through your case in the event your child has been diagnosed with any serious birth injury. The question is what could have caused your child’s specific birth injury? Let’s take a look at the following birth injuries and how they are caused.

Cerebral palsy is a brain injury that typically occurs during the birth of a child. This can affect an individual’s muscle controls and cause delays in speech and development depending on how severe it is. Other issues that can cause brain injuries associated with cerebral palsy include but are not limited to medical negligence, lack of oxygen to the brain, infection and fever, and brain bleeding.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. However, there are several treatments that currently exist to ensure that children and adults with cerebral palsy can be able to live independently.

Erb’s Palsy is also known as brachial plexus palsy. This is a birth injury that occurs when there is paralysis of the child’s shoulder, arm, and hand. This paralysis is due to damage to the brachial plexus nerves sustained during childbirth. The nerve damage occurs if the following has occurred: excessive pulling on the neck and head of child during a delivery that is difficult, pulling on feet during breech delivery, or if the child’s shoulders, head, or neck is stuck in the pelvic bone or birth canal during the delivery itself.

There is a possibility that a child can recover fully from Erb’s Palsy without additional treatment. Yet, there may be instances when the child may need physical or occupational therapy (including surgery) if it is needed for a full recovery. If the case is severe, some children may never be able to use the affected limb for the rest of their life.

During birth, a child can sustain brain damage from a birth injury. This can occur due to a wide variety of reasons such as bleeding in the brain, asphyxia or loss of oxygen, choking from the umbilical cord, an undiagnosed brain infection, or physical injuries that result from vacuum extraction, blunt force, or excessive pulling of the head.

The severity of the brain damage may vary depending on the case. And the extent of the injuries will also vary on the severity of the injury itself and what part of the brain is specifically affected. These factors can determine if your child can fully recover or live with a lifelong disability.

A reputable birth injury attorney knows that no child deserves to live with a lifelong disability. Especially from a birth injury that can be avoided by medical professionals. We also know that with a child’s long-term disabilities, there are expenses that are often involved. That is why Duffy & Duffy, PLLC will make sure that you get the best compensation awarded to you. Whether it is settled out of court or in court, your birth injury attorney will make every attempt to get your child they need in order to cover for any medical expenses that will arise due to the long-term effects of a birth injury.

Nobody wants to go into debt due to the birth injuries and the long-term effects that the child will carry. When you work with a New York birth injury lawyer such as Duffy & Duffy, PLLC with offices in Long Island and New York City, they gather as much evidence as possible including an initial diagnosis of the child’s birth injury. This will be crucial in helping you build a case that will help you get the best compensation possible against the negligent party.

Keep in mind that time may not be on your side due to statute of limitations. In the state of New York, the statute of limitation for birth injuries is 2.5 years. However, that statute of limitation may have exceptions depending on certain factors. But regardless, it will give you enough time to help build a case and file a claim in civil court. But do not let it be a race against time. Duffy & Duffy, PLLC a leading NY birth injury law firm will make sure that your claim will be filed, and your case will be heard.

Duffy & Duffy, PLLC will fight for you during the settlement or while the case goes on in court. Either way, they are here to help with your birth injury lawsuit. If you wish to file a claim or need a free consultation, you can contact the office of Duffy & Duffy online or call their office directly at 516-394-4200 during regular office hours.