Facial Palsy

Facial nerve palsy in a newborn is loss of control of the facial muscles on one side of an infant's face or on the lower half of the face. The condition may be caused by nerve damage resulting from improper use of forceps during delivery. In other cases, the condition occurs during a difficult delivery even when forceps are not used.

Facial palsy is a medical condition in which the face can become partially or fully paralyzed. It may result from permanent or temporary damage of the facial nerve. It usually affects only one side of the face, but it may affect both sides of the face in rare cases.

If your infant suffered permanent facial palsy or other birth injury due to negligence of a medical professional, the Syracuse-based birth injury attorneys of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers may be able to help your family. You child may be entitled to recover compensation for both their physical injuries and compensation to provide your child with the services he or she will need.

Call 833-200-2000 now for a free consultation.

The most common symptoms of facial palsy include:

• Weakness or numbness in the face
• Inability or lack of control to move the facial muscles
• Loss of sensation in the face (inability to feel the touch)
• Inability to blink the eye or eyes
• Drooping of the eyes and face
• Involuntary drooling

There can be several different causes of facial palsy. Some of the most common causes are:

Birth Injury

• Negligent usage of forceps during delivery can cause temporary or permanent facial palsy.

Head Trauma

• Head injury causing skull fracture might result in the acute paralysis of the facial nerves.

Viral Infection

• The most common cause of facial paralysis is Bell's Palsy

Surgical Errors: During a surgery to remove acoustic neuroma or tumor of the facial nerve, or during a surgery of parotid gland, the facial nerves may get temporarily or permanently damaged causing facial paralysis.

Facial palsy may heal from six weeks to a few months duration, with the right medical attention. In case of permanent nerve damage, the effects of facial palsy may last for life.

Our birth injury lawyers have received multiple awards and recognition for the representation of injured people such as the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, and Top 1 Percent Trial Counsel for Medical Malpractice, among others.

If your child suffered a facial palsy due to a birth injury, you should contact a lawyer to find out if you are entitled to compensation. A good birth injury attorney would be able to determine if the condition could have been prevented, or if it was caused by the direct action of the medical staff. Our office also uses experienced medical experts outside of the local area to determine if medical malpractice occurred in your case.

If your child suffered a facial nerve palsy, call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us online. All consultations are always free and you will never be responsible for any legal fees unless we are able to recover compensation for your child.