Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Learning your child has a birth defect can make the joy of parenting into a harrowing experience. The majority of birth defects require ongoing medical care, which can result in staggering financial costs.

A New York birth defect attorney will determine if your child's condition was caused by negligence at the hands of a doctor or hazardous chemicals or drugs.

Causes of Birth Defects

It is important to contact a Long Island birth defect attorney immediately in the event that your child has an anomaly in birth that could have been avoided by an expert medical professional. A reputable lawyer can take care of the preceding steps quickly and efficiently, so that you can take time to grieve for your family member.

Birth defects are functional or structural changes to the body of a fetus that can affect almost any part of the human body. They can cause physical issues or intellectual and developmental disabilities including difficulty in communicating or learning or with activities like walking or taking care of oneself.

Certain birth defects can be diagnosed before the baby is born by specific tests, like analysing the cells in a blood sample or by examining samples of amniotic fluid or the placenta. Increasingly, doctors can also detect birth defects with ultrasound fetal and magnetic resonance imaging.

Some birth defects can be caused by genetic factors, for example the chromosomes in a fetus's body and genes. These defects can be passed down from parents or they could result from new mutations in the DNA of the embryo that occurred during conception. A few of the more commonly occurring genetic birth defects are spina bifida, trisomy 21 and Tay-Sachs's disease. Other genetic birth defects have no explanation at all.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child has suffered an injury to their body due to an error made by a doctor or another health medical professional, birth defect you could have a claim based on medical malpractice. This could be due to a failure to diagnose or treat, such as doctors not taking your symptoms seriously or giving a wrong diagnosis and not beginning the appropriate treatment or not following up on the results of tests as well as medication errors (e.g. anesthesia errors like giving too much or the wrong medication) and surgical errors (e.g. for example, a surgeon removing a surgical retractor blade inside a patient during surgery).

Finding a lawyer with experience in malpractice cases can be challenging. You can consult family members, acquaintances and lawyers in other areas for recommendations. Additionally, you can contact your state bar association. Most bar associations have search/referral tools that will help you find an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

Chemical Exposure

Sometimes, birth defects result from exposure to harmful chemicals that affect the mother or the fetus. Many of these chemicals are discovered at work, where they are utilized in the production of products such as paint ceramic glazes, batteries, and other plastics. These chemicals can be consumed or inhaled, or absorbed by the body's skin. Certain of these toxins have been found to increase the risk of having a birth defect in a child, such as spina bifida and other mental and physical ailments.

These teratogen chemical agents can be found in medicines that have been erroneously prescribed by doctors, in chemicals used in the workplace such as those found in semiconductor "clean room" environments, or in toxic chemicals that can contaminate the air and water of communities. The Thornton Law Firm represents many parents whose children were born with a severe birth defects due to the fact that their mothers were exposed to pesticides, coal ash and glycol ethers in the workplace.

If you suspect that your child's birth defect was due to negligence by a doctor, a hazardous medication or toxic exposure during pregnancy, birth defect speak to an experienced New York birth injury attorney to schedule a no-cost case strategy session today. These claims have strict deadlines and are time-sensitive. An experienced lawyer can determine if a child is eligible to file a claim, and whether it is best to file it through either a settlement agreement or court.

Product Liability

Many birth defects are caused by an improper prescription or exposure to chemicals. It is important for parents to speak with a birth defect attorney immediately in the event that they believe their child's condition was caused by medical negligence or the use of dangerous drugs. These cases can be complex and extremely time-sensitive.

Medical malpractice cases are typically caused by environmental factors that can cause birth defects, for example, incorrectly prescribed medications or drugs, or inadequate care during pregnancy. Families should seek legal help immediately, as the statute of limitation for a medical malpractice claim is only one year.

A medication birth defect lawsuit could also be filed if the doctor was negligent in prescribing a medication to a mother. For example when a doctor failed to understand the interactions of a medication with other medications the woman may be taking or did not properly inform her about its potential side effects. A Maryland medication birth defects attorney can assist clients in recovering damages if a doctor causes a birth defect or injury by being negligent.

A family with an infant with a serious birth defect can be faced with huge expenses, which include surgery, therapy and ongoing treatment throughout their child's lifetime. A knowledgeable and experienced birth defect lawyer can assist parents determine if the child's medical condition was a result of medical malpractice or a harmful drug toxic exposure.