Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Being aware that your child has a birth defect can turn the joy of parenthood into a painful experience. Most birth defects require lifetime medical treatment, which could cause a huge financial burden.

A New York birth defects attorney can determine if your child's problem is due to medical malpractice 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 prevented by a medical professional, you should consult an Long Island birth defects attorney immediately. An experienced attorney can take care of the preceding step quickly and efficiently so you can grieve the loss of a loved one.

Birth defects can affect virtually any part of a embryo. They can cause physical discomfort, intellectual and developmental disabilities such as difficulty communicating or learning or having difficulty with activities like walking or caring for oneself.

Some birth defects can be identified before the baby is born with special tests, such as analyzing cells in a blood sample or looking at samples of amniotic fluid or the placenta. Doctors are increasingly able to detect birth defects with ultrasound of the fetus and magnetic resonance imaging.

Certain birth problems result from genetic factors like abnormalities in the fetus's genes or chromosomes. These defects can be passed down by the parents or triggered by mutations in the DNA of the fetus in conception. A few of the more commonly occurring genetic birth defects are trisomy 21, spina Bifida and Tay-Sachs disease. Other genetic birth defects have no explanation in any way.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child suffered injuries to the body due to an error made by a doctor, or other health healthcare professional, you may have a claim for medical malpractice. This could mean that they failed to treat/diagnose, including doctors who do not take your symptoms seriously, or making a false diagnosis and not initiating the correct treatment or failing to follow-up on test results or medication mistakes (e.g. anesthesia mistakes like giving excessive or the wrong type of medication) and surgical errors (e.g., a surgeon leaving a surgical retractor blade inside the patient during surgery).

Finding a lawyer who has experience in malpractice cases may be a difficult task. But, you can ask for recommendations from family members and close friends and also attorneys in other fields. You can also contact the state bar. Most bar associations offer search/referral services to help you find a qualified medical negligence attorney.

Chemical Exposure

Sometimes birth problems are caused by exposure to harmful chemicals that harm the mother or fetus. A lot of these chemicals can be present in the workplace where they are used in the production of products like plastics batteries, paint and ceramic glazes. These chemicals are consumed, inhaled or just absorbed through the skin. Some of these toxins have been found to increase the risk of having a birth defect in a baby such as spina bifida or other mental and physical ailments.

These teratogen chemicals are present in drugs that doctors have negligently prescribed, in the use of chemicals at work, for example, in semiconductor "clean rooms" or in toxic chemicals that contaminate the air and water. The Thornton Law Firm represents many parents whose babies were born with a serious birth defects after their mothers were exposed to pesticides, coal ash and glycol ethers at work.

If you believe your child's birth defect was due to negligence by a doctor, a hazardous substance or toxic exposure during pregnancy, speak to an experienced New York birth injury attorney for a free consultation on case strategy today. These claims are sensitive to time and have strict time limits. An experienced attorney can help you determine if your child is eligible to file a claim and if it is best to file it through a court case or a settlement agreement.

Product Liability

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

Medical malpractice claims are often based on environmental factors that can cause birth defects, for example, inadequately prescribed drugs or medications, or inadequate care during pregnancy. It is essential for families to seek legal assistance as soon as possible, because the time limit for a medical malpractice claim is set at one year.

Medication birth defect lawsuits may also be filed in cases where the doctor was negligent when prescribing medications to the mother, for example, by failing to understand how a particular drug would interact with other medications she might be taking or not properly advising her of the possible side effects. A Maryland medication birth defect attorney will assist clients in obtaining damages when a doctor is negligent and causes a birth injury or birth defect.

A family who has newborns with a major birth defect can be faced with huge costs, including therapies, surgeries and treatment throughout their child's lifetime. A birth defect lawyer who is well-informed and experienced can help parents determine whether the medical condition of their child was caused by negligence at the hands of a doctor, a hazardous drug or toxic exposure.