Klumpke's paralysis, Erb's palsy, and compensation claims

Klumpke's paralysis is a condition similar to Erb's palsy in that both are types of birth injury resulting from shoulder trauma to a baby as it is born. However, Klumpke's results from damage to different nerves.

Whereas Erb's refers to damage to the C4 and C5 cervical nerves, Klumpke's is the result of damage to the C8 cervical nerve and the T1 thoracic nerve. It is a rare condition, with American figures showing it to affect less than 0.07% of the population. Some clinicians believe that the condition does not occur in a 'pure' state in newborns and should be considered as a sign of a spinal cord injury.

Its symptoms include paralysis of muscles in the hand on the affected side of the body, and numbness in the ulnar nerve, or 'funny bone'. It can also be linked with Horner's syndrome, which can give the eye on the affected side a sunken appearance, and potentially a differently coloured iris.

Physical therapy and prevention of contracture may be included in methods of treatment, as may surgery in the most serious birth injury cases. Some research has been done into the use of electrical stimulus.

Alternate names for the condition include Klumpke's palsy and Dejerine-Klumpke palsy.

Klumpke's paralysis, Erbs palsy and birth injury solicitors
If your experience of birth has involved personal injury, and you believe sub-standard clinical care may have been a factor in this, you may be eligible to claim compensation. While it is important to remember that conditions such as Klumpke's are rare, this is of little comfort should it happen in your case, and the solicitor team at YouClaim is very aware of this.

We provide expert advisors that you can call to discuss your situation, secure in the knowledge that there will be no legal jargon and no obligation upon you to go any further if you do not wish to do so. However, if you do, we can also provide experts in birth injury law, with deep knowledge of the way it can relate to brachial plexus injury such as is involved in these syndromes.

Birth injury cases are almost always too complex to be offered on an entirely free basis, but we guarantee that you will be forewarned of all costs and that we will endeavour to have them all refunded to you. We will also ensure that you receive 100 percent compensation in a won case.

To contact our advisors and begin your claim for Klumpke's paralysis, Erb's palsy, or another birth injury, simply call us on 0800 10 757 95, or use this website's echat window or claim form to speak to us online.