How Petrucelli & Petrucelli Proves Responsibility and Secures Justice
Every catastrophic birth-injury case begins with the same questions: What went wrong—and why wasn’t it prevented? For nearly five decades, Vincent Petrucelli, Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Super Lawyers® honoree since 2007, has answered those questions for families throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Understanding the Condition
Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder caused by damage to a baby’s developing brain, often from oxygen deprivation or restricted blood flow during labor or delivery. The result can be permanent muscle stiffness, movement difficulty, and developmental delay.
How Negligence Leads to Cerebral Palsy
- Untreated fetal distress: Delayed recognition of abnormal heart-rate patterns.
- Prolonged labor: Excessive use of Pitocin or Cytotec without timely cesarean intervention.
- Placental abruption or cord compression: Failure to respond quickly to loss of oxygen.
- Improper neonatal resuscitation: Delay in restoring breathing or clearing the airway.
How We Prove Responsibility
Our team correlates the exact time of oxygen loss with delivery-room events. By aligning fetal-monitoring strips, cord-blood gases, and nursing notes, we show precisely when the baby’s brain was deprived of oxygen and why intervention should have happened sooner.
Securing a Lifetime of Care
Children with CP may require physical, occupational, and speech therapy for life. We retain life-care planners and rehabilitation specialists to project these costs through adulthood, ensuring the settlement covers therapy, equipment, and independent-living needs.
Erb’s Palsy and Brachial Plexus Injury
The Mechanics of Injury
Erb’s palsy results when the nerves that control movement in the shoulder and arm (the brachial plexus) are stretched or torn during delivery. This typically occurs when a physician pulls too forcefully on the baby’s head or shoulders during a difficult birth.
Preventable Causes
- Shoulder dystocia mishandled with excessive traction.
- Failure to anticipate macrosomia (large-baby risk) and plan a cesarean delivery.
- Improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction during stalled labor.
- Lack of team coordination when an emergency maneuver is required.
How We Demonstrate Negligence
Using expert obstetric testimony and delivery-room documentation, we illustrate how accepted obstetric maneuvers (e.g., McRoberts position, suprapubic pressure) should have resolved the dystocia safely. When those maneuvers were ignored or applied incorrectly, we prove it through biomechanical and medical evidence.
Long-Term Effects
Many children regain partial function; others face lifelong weakness or paralysis. We quantify damages for therapy, adaptive equipment, and the emotional impact of limited independence.
Shoulder Dystocia — The Emergency That Demands Immediate Action
What Happens in the Delivery Room
Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulders lodge behind the mother’s pelvic bone after the head is delivered. It is a recognized obstetric emergency requiring a specific sequence of maneuvers to free the baby within minutes.
When Negligence Occurs
Negligence arises when a doctor or nurse:
- Fails to recognize risk factors such as gestational diabetes or high fetal weight.
- Uses excessive downward force rather than performing accepted rotation maneuvers.
- Does not summon additional staff or obstetric support immediately.
Our Proof Strategy
We analyze delivery-room timelines, labor progress notes, and operative reports to show that the medical team either delayed response or applied excessive traction. Our experts compare these actions to national obstetric-safety guidelines to demonstrate a breach of care.
The Outcome and Our Advocacy
Shoulder dystocia can cause Erb’s palsy, fractured clavicles, or even oxygen-related brain injury if delivery is prolonged. Our firm has achieved multimillion-dollar results for families by proving that hospitals failed to train or staff their delivery units adequately for emergencies.
Why Experience Matters
Birth-injury defense teams are sophisticated and well-funded. Only an attorney with decades of trial experience and deep medical knowledge can counter their tactics. Vincent Petrucelli’s 49-year career, his ACTL Fellowship, and his leadership in Ferdon v. Wisconsin Patients Compensation Fund give your family the advantage of unmatched credibility in negotiation and at trial. Contact Vincent Petrucelli today at (906) 265-6173 or vincent@truthfinders.com.
Petrucelli & Petrucelli — Fighting for Justice Across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin
