Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Attorney

Knowing that your child is suffering from a birth defect can transform the joy of parenthood into a terrifying experience. The majority of birth defects require lifelong medical treatment. This can result in staggering financial costs.

A New York birth defect attorney can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by negligence at the hands of a doctor or hazardous chemicals or drugs.

Causes of Birth Defects

You should contact an Long Island birth defect attorney promptly in the event that your child has a birth deformity that could have been treated by an expert medical professional. A reputable lawyer can handle the previous steps swiftly and efficiently, ensuring that you can have the time to grieve for your family member.

Birth defects are functional or structural changes in a fetus's body which can affect virtually any part of the human body. They can cause physical issues or developmental disabilities, intellectual and physical for example, difficulty in communicating or learning or in activities such as walking or taking care of oneself.

Some birth defects can be diagnosed before the baby is born through special tests, such as analyzing cells in a blood sample or examining samples of amniotic fluid or the placenta. Doctors can identify birth defects using fetal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging.

Some birth defects can be caused by genetic factors, for example the chromosomes in a fetus's body and genes. These abnormalities may be inherited from parents, or they can be caused by mutations in the DNA of the embryo which occurred during the gestation process. Some of the most common birth defects that are genetic in nature include spina bifida, trisomy 21 and Tay-Sachs disease. Many other genetic birth defect are not known to have a cause.

Medical Malpractice

If you or your child has suffered injuries to the body due to mistakes made by a doctor or other health healthcare professional, you may be able to sue for medical malpractice. This can include failures to recognize the problem, for example, doctors who do not take the symptoms seriously, gives a wrong diagnosis, and fails to initiate the proper treatment or fails to follow up with the results of tests. It could also involve errors in the administration of medication, for example, an incorrect diagnosis of anesthesia or giving too much medication or the wrong type of medication, as well as surgical errors.

Finding an attorney who has experience in malpractice suits can be difficult. However you can seek recommendations from family members and close friends and also attorneys in other fields. In addition, you can contact your state bar association. Most bar associations have search/referral tools to help you find a qualified medical malpractice attorney.

Chemical Exposure

Birth defects are often caused by chemicals that are harmful to the fetus or mother. Many of these chemicals are used in the workplace, where they are used in the production of products like plastics, paint, batteries and ceramic glazes. These chemicals can be consumed or inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Certain of these toxins are known to increase the risk for a child developing a birth defect such as spina-bifida, or other psychological and physical disorders.

These teratogens can be found in drugs that doctors have erroneously prescribed, in chemicals used at work, for example, in semiconductor "clean rooms" or in toxic substances that can contaminate the air and water. The Thornton Law Firm has represented parents whose children were born with serious birth defects because the mothers were exposed to glycol ethers as well as pesticides and coal ash at their place of employment.

Contact an experienced New York birth defect law firms injury lawyer for a free consultation today If you believe that the birth defects of your child were caused through medical negligence, dangerous drug or toxic exposure during pregnancy. These claims are highly sensitive to time and have strict deadlines for filing. An experienced attorney can determine whether a child is able to file an claim, and if it is best to file it through court or a settlement agreement.

Product Liability

Many birth defects are the result of an improper prescription or exposure to chemicals. It is important for parents to contact an attorney for birth defects right away when they suspect that their child's illness was due to medical negligence or dangerous drugs. These cases can be extremely complicated and extremely time-sensitive.

Medical malpractice claims are usually due to the environmental factors that lead to birth defects, like prescriptions that are not followed or care that is inadequate during pregnancy. It is imperative for families to seek legal assistance as soon as they can as the statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is set at one year.

Birth defect lawsuits involving medications may also be filed in cases where a doctor acted negligently when prescribing medications to the mother, such as in not understanding how a specific drug might interact with other medications the woman may be taking or by not adequately informing her of the side effects. A Maryland lawyer who specializes in medical birth defects can help clients obtain damages when a doctor has caused a birth defect or injury due to being negligent.

A family with a newborn with a serious birth defect can be faced with huge expenses, including surgery, therapy and ongoing treatment for the rest of the child's life. A skilled and experienced birth defect attorney can help parents to determine if their child's medical condition was caused by medical malpractice or a dangerous drug toxic exposure.