Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Being aware that your child has a birth defect can make the joy of parenting into a painful experience. The majority of birth defects require ongoing medical treatment, which could result in a staggering cost for the family.

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

If your child is suffering from an anomaly in their birth that could have been prevented by a medical professional, then you should contact an Long Island birth defects attorney as soon as possible. A reputable lawyer can take care of the preceding steps quickly and efficiently, ensuring you have time to grieve for your family member.

Birth defects are functional or structural changes in a fetus's body which can affect virtually any body part. They can lead to physical issues or intellectual and developmental impairments such as difficulties communicating or learning or having difficulties with tasks such as walking, or caring for oneself.

Some birth defects can even be identified prior to the birth of the baby with the help of specific tests. This includes analyzing the cells in a sample of blood or looking at amniotic liquid or the placenta. Doctors can detect birth defects using ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging.

Some birth defects are caused by genetic causes such as the presence of abnormalities on the fetus's chromosomes, or genes. These genetic defects could be passed on from parents or they may result from new mutations in the fetus's DNA that took place during conception. Trisomy 21, Spina Bifida and Tay-Sachs are among the most frequently encountered genetic birth defects. Many other birth defects that are genetic have no cause known at all.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child has suffered injuries to the body due to an error by a doctor, or other health care professional, you could be able to sue for medical malpractice. This can include failure to diagnose or treat, for example, doctors who do not take your symptoms seriously, or giving a wrong diagnosis and not starting the correct treatment or failing to follow-up on the results of tests or medication errors (e.g. anesthesia errors like giving excessive or the wrong type of medication) and firm surgical mistakes (e.g. or a surgeon removing a surgical retractor blade inside the patient during surgery).

Finding a lawyer who has experience in malpractice cases can be difficult. You can ask family members, friends as well as lawyers from other fields for suggestions. You can also contact the state bar. Bar associations generally offer search/referral services to help you locate an experienced medical negligence attorney.

Chemical Exposure

Sometimes birth defects are caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals that harm the mother or the fetus. Many of these chemicals can be present at work, and they are utilized in the manufacturing of products like paint, ceramic glazes, batteries, and other plastics. These chemicals can be consumed or inhaled, or absorbed through the skin of the body. Some of these toxins have been found to increase the risk of a birth defect in a child, such as spina bifida or other mental and physical disorders.

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

Contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer to set up a free consultation in the event that you believe your child's birth defects were caused due to medical negligence, a toxic substance or a dangerous drug during pregnancy. These claims are subject to the strictest time limit and firm are time-sensitive. An experienced lawyer can help you determine whether your child is able to make a claim and if it is appropriate to file the claim in court or through an agreement to settle.

Product Liability

Many birth defects can be caused by an incorrect prescription or exposure to chemicals. If parents believe that the child's health condition is the result of medical negligence or a dangerous drug, they should contact a birth defects attorney immediately. These cases can be complicated and extremely time-sensitive.

Medical malpractice claims typically concern the cause of a birth defect due to environmental factors, like exposure to environmental chemicals, improperly prescribed medication or drugs or care for prenatal issues that are inadequate. It is essential for families to seek legal assistance immediately since the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice claim is only one year.

A medication birth defect lawsuit can also be filed when the doctor was negligent when prescribing medication to a mother. For instance, if the doctor did not understand the interactions of a medication with other medications the woman is taking or did not properly inform her of its possible side effects. A Maryland medication birth defects attorney will assist clients to recover damages if a doctor causes a birth defect or injury through negligence.

A family with a newborn who is suffering from a serious birth defect may be required to pay for a hefty amount of medical treatment, surgery and therapy throughout the life of the child. A skilled and experienced birth defect lawyer can assist parents to determine if their child's medical issue was the result of medical negligence, a dangerous drug or exposure to toxic substances.