The Randallstown Erb’s Palsy lawyers at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. have spent decades guiding families through the heartbreak of a preventable birth injury. Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton combine compassionate counsel with a proven record in Maryland courtrooms.
Our first priority is your child’s future. We offer free consultations, arrange evening or weekend meetings, and keep every conversation confidential so parents can focus on care rather than paperwork. Located on St. Paul Street, just minutes down I-695 from Liberty Road. Our office is convenient for Randallstown families, and parking is always free.
Call us at (410) 234-1000 or fill out our quick consultation form today. Our Randallstown Erb’s Palsy attorneys will review your case for free, explain your options in plain language, and start fighting for the resources your child deserves.
What Is Erb’s Palsy and How Does It Occur?
Erb’s Palsy is a brachial-plexus nerve injury that weakens a newborn’s shoulder and arm. The condition develops when the baby’s shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery and excessive traction is applied to free it.
Roughly 1 to 2 of every 1,000 U.S. births result in Erb’s Palsy. Many infants improve with early therapy, yet severe cases cause lifelong limitations in strength, range of motion, and self-care. Because proper obstetric technique prevents most nerve damage, Erb’s Palsy is frequently linked to medical negligence rather than genetics.
How Do Delivery Errors Lead to Erb’s Palsy?
Delivery errors occur when clinicians ignore warning signs of shoulder dystocia or respond with unsafe force. Common mistakes include pulling on the baby’s head, twisting the neck, or misusing forceps and vacuum extractors.
Certain risk factors: macrosomia, gestational diabetes, prolonged second stage, or breech presentation require extra vigilance. When dystocia happens, accepted maneuvers such as the McRoberts position and suprapubic pressure resolve it safely. Snapping force does not.
Parents often confuse Erb’s Palsy with cerebral palsy. The former involves stretched shoulder nerves, the latter brain injury. Both, however, may stem from substandard obstetric care.
What Are Rare or Complex Erb’s Palsy Cases?
Some children suffer unusually severe variations:
- Nerve avulsion – the brachial plexus tears from the spinal cord, producing complete paralysis.
- Horner’s syndrome – eyelid droop and tiny pupil signal lower-plexus damage.
- Klumpke’s Palsy – weakness in the hand and forearm accompanies classic Erb’s involvement.
- Breech-arm traction injuries – uncommon but catastrophic when the arm delivers first.
These cases demand extensive reconstruction surgery and lifelong therapy, so damages can climb into seven or eight figures. Placeholder: Rare-injury case result summary.
Could My Baby’s Erb’s Palsy Have Been Prevented?
Most Erb’s Palsy injuries are preventable. Obstetricians must anticipate dystocia based on maternal diabetes, fetal weight estimates, or past shoulder dystocia and either employ gentle maneuvers or opt for cesarean delivery.
Instrument misuse, forced traction, or delay in calling for help frequently convert a routine birth into a nerve injury. When proper technique would likely have avoided harm, families should explore a malpractice claim to secure resources for long-term care.
Do We Have a Medical Malpractice Case for Erb’s Palsy?
A birth-injury claim rests on four elements: duty of care, breach of that duty, causation, and damages. Maryland law also requires a Certificate of Qualified Expert and filing through the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (HCADRO) before suit (§3-2A-04 CJP). We prepare these technical filings so parents never face them alone.
If medical charts show mismanaged dystocia, rapid force on the head, or failure to order a timely cesarean, we can often prove the breach caused your child’s disability. Even when you are unsure, a no-cost review by attorney Jonathan Schochor or birth-injury lawyer Kerry Staton clarifies your rights.
