What Is Birth Defect Case And Why Is Everyone Talking About It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Learning your child has an issue with their birth can transform the joy of parenthood into a painful experience. Most birth defects require lifelong medical care, which can cause a huge financial burden.

A New York birth defects attorney can determine if your child's condition is due to medical malpractice or toxic chemicals or drugs.

Causes of Birth Defects

If your child is suffering from a birth defect that could have been avoided by an expert medical professional, you should speak with a Long Island birth defects attorney as soon as possible. A reputable attorney can handle the previous step quickly and efficiently, so that you can grieve your injured loved one.

Birth defects are structural or functional changes in the body of a fetus that can impact almost every part of the human body. They can cause physical problems, intellectual and developmental disabilities such as difficulties communicating or learning or having difficulties with tasks like walking or taking care of oneself.

Certain 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. Increasingly, doctors can also diagnose birth defects through ultrasound of the fetus or magnetic resonance imaging.

Some birth defects can be caused by genetic factors such as the chromosomes in a fetus's body and genes. These defects can be passed down from parents or they can result from new mutations to the fetus's DNA which occurred during the gestation process. Some of the most common genetic birth defects include trisomy 21, spina bifida and Tay-Sachs's disease. Many other genetic birth defects have no cause known at all.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child suffered an injury to their body due to an error by a doctor or health care professional, you could be able to sue for medical malpractice. This could include the failure to diagnose or treat, for example, a doctor not taking your symptoms seriously, or birth defects making a mistake in diagnosis and not initiating the appropriate treatment or failing to follow-up on test results or medication mistakes (e.g., anesthesia mistakes like giving excessive or the wrong kind of medication) and surgical mistakes (e.g., a surgeon leaving a surgical retractor blade inside a patient during surgery).

Finding an attorney with experience in malpractice suits is difficult. You can consult family members, acquaintances, and attorneys in other fields for recommendations. In addition, you can contact your state bar association. Bar associations generally offer search/referral services to help you locate an experienced medical negligence lawyer.

Chemical Exposure

Birth defects may be caused by harmful chemicals that harm the fetus or mother. Many of these chemicals can be used in the workplace, where they are used in the production of products such as paint, ceramic glazes, batteries and plastics. These chemicals can be ingested or inhaled, or absorbed by the body's skin. Certain of these chemicals are known to increase the risk for children developing birth defects, such as spina-bifida and other psychological and physical conditions.

These teratogens are present in drugs that doctors have not properly prescribed, in chemicals used in the workplace, such as those in semiconductor "clean rooms" or in toxic chemicals that contaminate air and water. The Thornton Law Firm has represented numerous parents whose children were born with serious birth defect attorneys defects after the mothers were exposed to glycol ethers as well as coal ash and pesticides at the place of work.

Contact an experienced New York birth injury lawyer to set up a free consultation if you believe that your child's birth defects were caused due to medical negligence, a toxic exposure or dangerous drug during pregnancy. These claims are highly sensitive to time and birth defects have strict deadlines for filing. An experienced lawyer can help you determine whether your child is eligible to file a claim, and if it is appropriate to file the claim through a court case or settlement agreements.

Product Liability

Many birth defects can be the result of a wrong prescription or exposure to chemicals. It is important for parents to consult an attorney for birth defects immediately when they suspect that the child's condition is the result of medical negligence or dangerous drugs. These cases can be extremely difficult and sensitive to time.

Medical malpractice claims are often due to environmental factors that cause birth defects, such as prescriptions that are not followed, or inadequate care during pregnancy. Families should seek legal aid immediately, as the statute of limitation for a medical malpractice claim is only one year.

Birth defect lawsuits involving medications are also filed in cases where the doctor acted negligently when prescribing medications to the mother, for example, not understanding the way a particular medication would interact with other medications that the mother might be taking or not properly advising her of the adverse effects. A Maryland lawyer for birth defects in medication can assist clients to recover damages when a physician is negligent and causes birth injuries or birth defect.

A family who has newborns with a major birth defect could face huge costs, including surgery, therapy and ongoing treatment throughout their child's lifetime. An experienced and knowledgeable birth defect attorney can assist parents determine if the child's medical condition was caused by medical malpractice, a dangerous drug or toxic exposure.