Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

The joy of parenting can be turned into a nightmare when you learn that your child was born with an anomaly in the birth. Most birth defects require lifelong medical treatment, which can lead to staggering financial costs.

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

Causes of Birth Defects

If your child is suffering from an abnormality in the birth process that could have been cured by a medical professional, then you should consult a Long Island birth defects attorney as soon as you can. A reputable lawyer can take care of the previous steps swiftly and efficiently, ensuring that you have time to grieve for your family member.

Birth defects are functional or structural changes in a fetus's body that can impact almost any part of the human body. They can lead to physical problems or developmental and intellectual disabilities including difficulty communicating or learning, or difficulties with physical activities such as walking or taking care of oneself.

Certain birth defects can be diagnosed before the baby is born with specific tests, such as analyzing cells in a blood sample or by examining samples of amniotic fluid or the placenta. In the present, doctors are able to diagnose birth defects through fetal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.

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

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child suffered an injury from an error by a doctor, or other health care professional, you could have a claim for medical malpractice. This could include the failure to treat or diagnose, including doctors not taking your symptoms seriously or making a wrong diagnosis and not initiating the appropriate treatment or failing to follow up on test results or medication errors (e.g. anesthesia mistakes such as prescribing too much or the wrong medication) and surgical errors (e.g. for example, a surgeon leaving a surgical retractor blade inside the patient during surgery).

Finding an attorney who has experience in malpractice suits is difficult. You can ask family members, friends and attorneys from other fields for suggestions. You can also contact your state bar association. Many bar associations provide search/referral services that can help you locate a qualified medical negligence attorney.

Chemical Exposure

Sometimes, birth defect lawyers defects result from exposure to hazardous chemicals that harm the mother or fetus. Many of these chemicals are found in the workplace where they are used in the production of items like plastics, paint, batteries, and ceramic glazes. These chemicals can be consumed or inhaled, or absorbed through the skin of the body. Certain of these toxins are believed to increase the risk for a child developing birth defect lawsuit defects, such as spina-bifida or other psychological and physical disorders.

The teratogen chemical compounds can be found in prescription drugs that were not prescribed by doctors, in chemical substances employed in the workplace like those in semiconductor "clean room" environments or in toxic substances that can pollute the air and water in communities. The Thornton Law Firm has represented many parents whose children have been born with serious birth defects after the mothers were exposed to glycol ethers, coal ash and pesticides at their work.

Contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer for a no-cost consultation today should you suspect that your child's birth defects were caused by medical negligence, a toxic substance or a dangerous drug during pregnancy. These claims are extremely urgent and subject to strict time limitations. An experienced attorney can assist you to determine whether your child is able to file a claim, and if it should be filed in court or through settlement agreements.

Product Liability

Many birth defects can be caused by an incorrect prescription or exposure to chemicals. It is essential for parents to contact an attorney for birth defects immediately if they believe that their child's condition was the result of medical negligence or dangerous medications. These cases can be complex and sensitive to time.

Medical malpractice claims are usually based on the environmental factors that lead to birth defects, for example, incorrectly prescribed medications or drugs or care that is inadequate during pregnancy. Families should seek legal help immediately because the statute of limitations on a medical malpractice claim is only one year.

Medication birth defect lawsuits can also be brought in instances where the doctor acted negligently when prescribing medication to the mother, for example by failing to understand how a particular drug would interact with other medications the woman may be taking or by not adequately advising the mother of the possible side effects. A Maryland lawyer for birth defects in medication can assist clients to recover damages when a doctor has acted negligently and causes birth injuries or birth defect.

A family with an infant with a serious birth defect could face huge costs, including therapies, surgeries and treatment throughout the child's life. A skilled and experienced birth defect lawyer can assist parents to determine if their child's medical issue was the result of medical malpractice or a dangerous drug exposure to toxic substances.