Klumpke’s Palsy Attorney in Maryland
30 Years of Birth Injury Trial Experience Serving Maryland Families
Klumpke’s palsy, also called Dejerine-Klumpke palsy, is a birth injury caused by damage to the lower brachial plexus nerves, specifically the C8 and T1 nerve roots. Unlike Erb’s palsy, which affects the upper brachial plexus and limits shoulder and upper arm movement, Klumpke’s palsy affects the forearm, wrist, and hand, causing weakness or paralysis in those areas. It’s a less commonly discussed injury, but the negligence that causes it follows familiar patterns.
When a delivery goes wrong and a child suffers lasting nerve damage, families deserve answers. The Law Firm of Michael H. Bereston, Inc. is led by Michael Bereston, who brings 30 years of trial experience to birth injury malpractice cases. We serve Maryland families and clients across the country from our Annapolis office.
If your child was diagnosed with Klumpke’s palsy, we’re ready to review your case at no cost. Call us at (410) 220-6581 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
How Klumpke’s Palsy Happens During Delivery
This injury most often results from excessive traction or force applied during a difficult vaginal delivery, particularly when a baby’s extended arm is pulled to free a shoulder stuck in the birth canal, a complication known as shoulder dystocia. Risk factors include macrosomia (a larger-than-average baby), smaller maternal stature, gestational diabetes, prolonged labor, and breech presentation. When these warning signs are present, careful delivery management is expected.
True isolated Klumpke’s palsy is rare. The injury more often occurs alongside Erb’s palsy as part of a broader brachial plexus injury. In some cases, Horner’s syndrome also appears, marked by a drooping eyelid, a constricted pupil, and decreased sweating on the affected side of the face, because nearby sympathetic nerve fibers are involved.
Nerve damage in Klumpke’s palsy falls into four categories of increasing severity:
- Neuropraxia: the nerve is stretched but intact
- Neuroma: the nerve is torn and scarred
- Rupture: the nerve is torn and typically requires surgery
- Avulsion: the nerve is torn from the spinal cord, the most severe and often irreversible type
When Klumpke’s Palsy Becomes a Malpractice Claim
Medical malpractice requires showing that a healthcare provider deviated from the standard of care that a reasonably careful provider in the same specialty would have followed under similar circumstances. In Klumpke’s palsy cases, common allegations include the use of excessive force or traction during delivery, improper use of forceps or a vacuum extractor, and failure to order a timely C-section when shoulder dystocia or macrosomia was foreseeable.
Delivery records rarely document excessive force directly. These claims depend on expert testimony from obstetric and pediatric neurology specialists who review delivery notes, fetal heart monitoring strips, and neonatal assessments. Building that record takes time and the right professionals.
Why Maryland Families Choose The Law Firm of Michael H. Bereston, Inc.
Our firm concentrates its practice on representing children and families in birth injury malpractice claims. We take on a limited number of cases each year so every family receives thorough, personalized attention. Throughout your case, you have a direct line to Michael Bereston, not a paralegal or associate.
That focus matters in a Klumpke’s palsy case, where the medical picture is nuanced and the legal theory depends on expert analysis done right. Thirty years of trial experience in birth injury litigation means we know how to take these cases to court when that’s what it takes.
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"Supportive and clear communication."
- Cathleen O. -
"A positive experience from the start. He found things other lawyers did not find. Those things were not all easy to find out. He delivered hard to hear facts about the case in as good a way as you could hope."
- Ryan -
"Mr. Bereston represented me in my case. I found him to be very knowledgeable, professional and easy to talk to about any questions I had concerning my case. He would always promptly return my calls if I had any concerns or questions as the case went on."
- Clyde G. -
"They truly love what they do and love each and every one of their clients like they are their own family."
- Shauna G.
Maryland Filing Deadlines for a Klumpke’s Palsy Claim
Maryland generally requires medical malpractice claims to be filed within three years of discovering the injury, and no later than five years from when the injury occurred. For claims filed on behalf of an injured child, that window can extend up to three years after the child reaches the age of majority, giving families meaningful time to pursue a claim as the full extent of the injury becomes clear.
Maryland also requires that medical malpractice claims proceed through the state’s Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office before a lawsuit can be filed in court. Understanding these procedural requirements from the start shapes how we build and time each case.
Our goal in each case we handle is to obtain the maximum compensation for our clients, which is why we only take on a limited number of cases each year.