Our record of success gives parents confidence. Aspen Hill Erb’s Palsy lawyer Jonathan Schochor has fought for injured children since 1984, while Kerry Staton has secured numerous seven-figure verdicts for brachial-plexus injuries. We combine trial skill with genuine compassion, so families feel heard and supported from day one.
Our attorneys know medical language. On-staff nurses and trusted OB/GYN experts help us spot delivery errors quickly. We serve Montgomery County parents as readily as those in Baltimore, meeting at homes or by secure video when travel is hard.
Free Consultation: Call (410) 234-1000 and we’ll listen to your story, outline next steps, and explain exactly how we can help.
What Is Erb’s Palsy?
Erb’s Palsy is a brachial-plexus nerve injury that weakens or paralyzes a newborn’s shoulder and arm. The condition appears at birth: one arm hangs limp, lacks a Moro reflex, and grips weakly. Severity ranges from temporary stretch injuries to permanent nerve tears. About 1-3 of every 1,000 U.S. births are affected.
What Causes Erb’s Palsy?
Erb’s Palsy usually stems from shoulder dystocia—when a baby’s shoulder lodges behind the mother’s pelvis and a provider pulls too hard on the neck.
Common obstetric errors
- Excessive traction during shoulder dystocia.
- Delayed or declined cesarean in macrosomia (large-baby) pregnancies.
- Rough forceps or vacuum extraction.
- Awkward breech extractions.
Across these events, the root problem is preventable force. Proper maneuvers or timely C-section almost always avoid nerve damage.
Uncommon Nerve Injuries We Also Litigate
Some births create rarer brachial-plexus patterns:
- Klumpke’s Palsy: lower-plexus injury causing weak hand and possible Horner’s syndrome.
- Global plexus palsy: complete arm paralysis after severe traction.
- Bilateral injuries or C-section extractions gone wrong: infrequent but devastating.
Recognizing every variant lets the Aspen Hill birth-injury attorneys at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. craft the right expert testimony.
Could This Injury Have Been Prevented?
Modern obstetrics makes permanent brachial-plexus injury rare. When doctors anticipate big babies, prolonged labor, or breech presentation, guidelines call for gentle maneuvers or elective C-section. When providers ignore those safeguards, they breach the standard of care. That breach, not bad luck, often causes Erb’s Palsy. We investigate delivery records and prove exactly where safety protocols failed.
Signs and Long-Term Effects
Newborn red flags include a limp arm, weak grip, and absent reflexes. Mild neuropraxia may resolve within months of therapy. Severe avulsion can shrink muscles, limit shoulder rotation, and require nerve-graft surgery. Roughly 20-30 percent of children live with lasting weakness. Our job is securing money for every therapy, surgery, brace, and adaptation that future may demand.
How an Aspen Hill Erb’s Palsy Lawyer Helps
Building a malpractice case is technical. Aspen Hill Erb’s Palsy attorney Kerry Staton retrieves prenatal records, hires leading pediatric neurologists, and files Maryland’s Certificate of Merit on time. We negotiate hard with hospital insurers yet prepare every file for trial, ensuring maximum leverage. Families focus on healing while we handle deadlines, paperwork, and court strategy.
Compensation We Pursue
A successful claim funds your child’s entire care plan.
Economic damages
- Past and future medical bills: NICU, surgeries, therapy, adaptive devices.
- Lost wages of parents who reduce work to provide care.
- Long-term life-care costs, projected with economists.
Non-economic damages
- Pain and suffering of both child and parents.
- Loss of quality of life and future opportunities.
- Emotional distress tied to traumatic birth.
Large, permanent injuries can yield multimillion-dollar results; milder cases still warrant significant recovery. Our attorneys calculate every dollar so nothing is overlooked.
