Five Killer Quora Answers On Birth Defect Attorneys

Why It Is Important to Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If you discover that your child was born with a birth defect what should be a joyful time can quickly become one of stress and uncertainty. It is imperative to contact a medical malpractice and birth defect lawyer right away.

You'll need bills receipts, receipts, credit card payments and other evidence of your losses in order to receive the full amount of compensation for your damages. We have represented family members in lawsuits against large electronics firms, agricultural pesticide producers and commercial growers.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice or mistakes that occur during pregnancy are the reason for many birth defects. Certain of these problems are more serious than others, but they can be all detrimental to the child and loved ones. An attorney for medical malpractice can help determine whether the doctor committed an error that caused the defect or injury.

Certain birth defects are easily detected through screening tests that doctors perform during pregnancy. When these tests are carried out and properly, parents can be informed of the risk that their child could have an abnormal birth. This information will allow them to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or prepare for the birth and treatment of the child. If the doctor is unable to carry out or interpret these tests, or if they fail to notify the parents of the results, this can be considered medical malpractice.

Medical treatments for birth defects can be costly. These treatments include surgeries, specialists, medication therapy, physical and speech and assistive devices. A lawsuit for wrongful birth could help ease the burden of these costs. This will allow families to provide the services their child needs. Medical malpractice lawsuits can be complex and time-sensitive. Therefore, it's important to get a skilled attorney as soon as you can.

Prescription Drugs

Although modern technology and recent developments in the field of medicine have drastically reduced the risk of birth defects and injuries but they are still a possibility. Birth defects that are serious or moderate and injuries are often lifelong medical care. In some instances they can even lead to death. A Boston dangerous drug lawyer can help parents recover compensation for their child's present and future medical costs, including hospital procedures and doctor's appointments, birth defect attorney rehabilitation services, assistive devices and more.

If a physician prescribes medication to an expecting mother that increases the chances of her child's having a birth defect, they might be guilty of medical malpractice. They have a responsibility to be aware of the medications that can affect the development of the fetus and to not prescribe medications that are harmful to the fetus.

Teratogens are prescription medication that can increase the chance of having a birth defect. These include anti-seizure medication like Dilantin and Tegretol. The FDA has issued warnings about the use of these medications during pregnancy. These medications can increase the risk for cleft palates, cleft lips and lung, heart and other brain disorders. These medications can also cause miscarriage for women who are pregnant, or nursing. Parents can sue the doctors, the producers of the drugs and the pharmacists who gave them for not warning about the dangers.

Toxic Chemicals

When a child is born with a birth defect the parents often wonder what the cause is. In reality, many different factors can lead to the birth defect attorney defect, ranging from drug-related side effects to exposure to toxic chemicals in the uterus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 33 babies are born with a birth defect. These ailments can range from minor to serious and even life-threatening. Most often, a birth defect occurs as a result of genetic defects. Birth defects can be caused by chemical or environmental exposure in the womb. These chemicals are referred as teratogens. They increase the chance of developing structural or functional abnormalities that are not reverseable in offspring.

Many people in the United States are exposed to industrial chemicals every day. From technology and semiconductor factories with clean rooms, to pesticides used in nurseries and farms and plastics, automobiles and paint manufacturing plants the list of harmful chemicals is extensive.

Most of the time, companies that manufacture these chemicals do not properly test them for their potential effects on humans, and it's not uncommon for them to not include adequate warnings in their products or services. LK's birth defect attorneys can assist families fight large corporations that put profit over the safety and health of their workers and children.

Environmental Exposure

Parents may be very upset due to a birth defect in a child, as they will need to provide medical care throughout the life of their child. Some birth defects can lead to mental and physical disabilities for the baby for life, depending on the degree of the defect.

While some birth defects are unavoidable because of genetics, others can be triggered by environmental or chemical exposure during pregnancy. These could include prescription medications or toxic chemicals that can be consumed by the mother or from chemical substances that have caused contamination of the groundwater or air in the community.

Birth defect lawsuits aren't only limited to medical malpractice. They may also be filed against individuals or businesses that are accountable for the injuries of the child. For instance, if a physician prescribes a drug that can increase the chance of your child's birth defect, they may be found to be responsible.

This is also true for those or companies that expose workers to dangerous chemicals and other substances. Numerous studies have shown that exposures to pesticides or fungicides, along with paints, metals and lead may increase the chance of children developing certain types of birth defect. This is why lawsuits have been filed against beauty salons and metal cleaning facilities, semiconductor manufacturing facilities, and paint factories because of their role in the development of serious birth defects in children. Web-based integrated birth defect surveillance in New York State. Wang, Y., Tao, Z., Steen, P.M., Cross, P.K., Druschel, C.M. Hwang, S.-A. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. 14(6): E1-E10. 2008.