Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Learning your child has a birth defect can transform the joy of parenthood into a painful experience. Most birth defects require lifelong medical attention, which could result in staggering financial costs.

A New York birth defect attorney can determine whether your child's condition was caused by negligence in the medical field or hazardous chemicals or drugs.

Causes of Birth Defects

If your child suffers an anomaly in their birth which could have been prevented by an medical professional, you should contact a Long Island birth defects attorney immediately. A reputable attorney can handle the previous step quickly and efficiently, so that you can grieve for the loss of a loved one.

Birth defects can affect almost every part of the pregnant fetus. They can lead to physical problems or intellectual and developmental disabilities including difficulty learning or communicating or difficulty with activities like walking or taking care of oneself.

Certain birth defects can be detected prior to the birth of the baby with the help of specific tests. These include analyzing the cells in a blood sample or studying amniotic fluid or the placenta. Doctors can identify birth defects using fetal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging.

Certain birth defects are caused by genetic causes, such as abnormalities in the chromosomes and genes. These defects can be passed down from parents, or they can be caused by new mutations in the DNA of the fetus that took place during conception. Some of the most commonly occurring genetic birth defects are trisomy 21, spina bifida and Tay-Sachs's disease. Numerous other genetic birth defects have no known cause.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child suffered injuries to the body due to an error by a doctor or health care professional, you could have a claim based on medical malpractice. This could be due to failing to identify, for instance doctors who do not consider the symptoms seriously, gives an incorrect diagnosis, does not begin the appropriate treatment or fails to follow up with the results of tests. It can also be a result of medication errors, such as the wrong diagnosis of anesthesia, prescribing too much medication or the wrong type of medication, or surgical errors.

Finding an attorney with experience in malpractice suits is difficult. But you can get recommendations from family members and friends as well as lawyers in other areas. In addition, you may contact your state bar association. Many bar associations provide search/referral services to help you find an experienced medical negligence attorney.

Chemical Exposure

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

These teratogens are present in drugs that doctors have not properly prescribed, in chemicals used at work, for example, in semiconductor "clean rooms" or in toxic substances that can contaminate air and water. 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 or coal ash, as well as pesticides at their workplace.

Contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer for a no-cost consultation today should you suspect that the birth defect of your child was caused by medical negligence, toxic substance or a dangerous drug during pregnancy. These claims are subject to strict deadlines and are time-sensitive. An experienced attorney can help you determine if your child is eligible to submit a claim and whether it is best to file it in court or via settlement agreements.

Product Liability

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

Medical malpractice claims typically concern the underlying cause of a birth defect that is caused by environmental factors, including exposure to environmental chemicals, improperly prescribed medication or drugs or inadequate prenatal care. Families should seek legal aid as soon as they can, as the statute of limitation for medical malpractice claims is only one year.

Birth defect lawsuits against medications are also filed in cases where a doctor was negligent when prescribing medication to the mother, such as by failing to understand the way in which a certain drug could interact with other medications the woman may be taking, or by not properly advising her of the side effects. A Maryland lawyer for birth defects in medication can help clients recover damages when a doctor acts negligently and causes a birth injury or birth defect.

A family with an infant with a serious birth defect can be faced with huge expenses, including the cost of surgery, therapy and ongoing treatment throughout the child's life. An experienced and knowledgeable birth defect attorney can help parents determine if their child's medical condition was the result of medical negligence or a dangerous drug toxic exposure.