Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Finding out that your child has a birth defect could change the joy of being a parent into a harrowing experience. Most birth defects require lifelong medical treatment, which could result in staggering financial costs.

A New York birth defects attorney can determine if the child's condition is due to medical malpractice or harmful chemicals or medications.

Causes of Birth Defects

If your child has an issue with their birth that could have been prevented by a medical professional, you should contact a Long Island birth defect lawyers defects attorney immediately. A reputable attorney can handle the previous step swiftly and efficiently, so that you can mourn your ailing loved one.

Birth defects are structural or functional changes to the body of a fetus that can affect any body part. They can lead to physical problems or intellectual and developmental disabilities for example, difficulty in communicating or learning or with walking or taking care of oneself.

Certain birth defects can be detected before the baby is born through specific tests, such as studying the blood cells in a sample or looking at samples of amniotic fluid or the placenta. Increasingly, doctors can also diagnose birth defects through fetal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.

Some birth defects can be caused through genetic factors like the chromosomes in a fetus's body and genes. These abnormalities can be inherited by parents or through mutations that occur in the DNA of the fetus during conception. A few of the more common genetic birth defects include trisomy 21, spina bifida and Tay-Sachs disease. Many other genetic birth defects have no known cause in any way.

Medical Malpractice

You may be able to file a claim against a doctor for Birth Defects medical malpractice when you or your child was injured by a mistake made by the health professional. This could mean that they failed to treat/diagnose, including the doctor not taking your symptoms seriously or making a mistake in diagnosis and not initiating the correct treatment or not following up on the results of tests, medication mistakes (e.g., anesthesia mistakes such as prescribing too much or the wrong medication) and surgical mistakes (e.g. for example, a surgeon leaving a retractor blade in the patient during surgery).

Finding an attorney who is experienced in malpractice suits is difficult. But you can get recommendations from family members and close friends and attorneys in other fields. In addition, you can contact your state bar association. Many bar associations provide search/referral services that can help you locate an experienced medical negligence lawyer.

Chemical Exposure

Sometimes birth defects result from exposure to dangerous chemicals that affect the mother or fetus. A lot of these chemicals are used in the workplace, where they are used in the production of items like paint, ceramic glazes, batteries, and other plastics. These chemicals can be consumed or inhaled, or absorbed through the body's skin. Certain of these toxins have been proven to increase the risk for the development of birth defects, such as spina-bifida, or other mental and physical ailments.

These teratogen chemicals are found in medications that doctors have negligently prescribed, in chemicals used at work such as those in semiconductor "clean rooms" or in toxic chemicals that contaminate air and water. The Thornton Law Firm has represented numerous parents whose children were born with serious birth defects after the mothers were exposed to glycol ethers as well as pesticides and coal ash at their place of employment.

Contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer for a no-cost consultation today if you believe that your child's birth defects were caused by medical negligence, a hazardous drug or exposure to toxic substances during pregnancy. These claims have the strictest time limit and are time-sensitive. An experienced lawyer can help you determine whether your child is eligible to file a claim, and if it is necessary to file it in court or through a settlement agreement.

Product Liability

Many birth defects can be caused by an incorrect prescription or exposure to chemicals. Parents are advised to speak with an attorney for birth defects immediately if they believe that their child's health issue was the result of medical negligence or dangerous drugs. These cases can be extremely complicated and sensitive to time.

Medical malpractice claims are usually due to environmental factors that cause birth defects, such as prescriptions that are not followed or care that is inadequate during pregnancy. It is imperative for families to seek legal advice whenever possible as the statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is limited to one year.

Birth defect lawsuits involving medications can also be filed in cases where a doctor was negligent when prescribing medication to the mother, for example, not knowing how a particular drug would interact with other medications that the mother might be taking or not adequately advising her of the adverse effects. A Maryland lawyer for birth defects in medication will assist clients in obtaining damages when a doctor has acted negligently and causes a birth injury or birth defect.

A family who has a newborn with a serious birth defect can face enormous expenses, including surgery, therapy and ongoing treatment throughout their child's lifetime. A knowledgeable and experienced birth defect attorney can assist parents determine if their child's medical issue was the result of medical negligence or a dangerous drug exposure to toxic substances.