20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Attorneys

Why It Is Important to Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

The discovery that your child is suffering from an abnormal birth defect can transform what should have been an exciting experience to an anxious and uncertain one. Contact an attorney for medical malpractice and birth defect lawyer as soon as is possible.

To receive the full compensation you deserve, you'll need to collect all your bills, receipts as well as credit card payments. We have successfully represented families in lawsuits against major electronics companies and agricultural pesticide companies as well as commercial growers.

Medical Malpractice

Many birth defects are caused by medical mistakes or malpractice that occurred during the pregnancy. Some of these problems are more severe than others however, they can all be devastating to the child and loved ones. A medical malpractice lawyer can determine if the doctor's error which led to the defect or injury.

Certain birth defects are easily detected through screening tests that doctors carry out during pregnancy. These tests can be carried out and correctly to inform parents of the possibility that their child could have a birth defect. This information can let them decide to terminate the pregnancy, or at the very least plan for the birth of the child and treatment. Medical malpractice is a crime when a doctor fails to interpret or perform these tests, or when he or she fails to inform parents of the results.

Medical treatments for birth defects can be costly. The treatments may include procedures, specialists, medications therapy, physical and speech and assistive equipment. The compensation awarded by a lawsuit for wrongful birth can help ease the financial burden related to these costs and make it easier for families to get the treatment their child requires. Medical malpractice lawsuits are extremely complicated and time-sensitive, which is why it's crucial to engage an experienced lawyer as soon as possible.

Prescription Drugs

Despite recent advances in medicine and advances in technology, birth problems and injuries are possible. Mild or severe birth defects and injuries usually require lifetime medical attention. In some cases, they could even lead to death. A Boston dangerous drug lawyer can help parents receive compensation for their child's present and future medical costs, including hospital procedures as well as doctor's visits rehabilitation services, assistive devices and more.

A doctor could be guilty of medical malpractice if they recommend a medication for a pregnant woman that increases the risk of her child being born with a birth defect. They have a duty to know which medications could adversely affect the growth of a fetus and not recommend harmful substances to the fetus.

Teratogens are prescription drugs which increase the likelihood of a birth defect. These include anti-seizure medication such as Dilantin and Tegretol. The FDA has warned against using these drugs during pregnancy. These drugs can increase the risk for cleft palates, cleft lips and lung, heart and other brain disorders. These medications also pose a risk of miscarriage in women who are breastfeeding or pregnant. Parents can sue the doctors, the manufacturers of the drugs as well as the pharmacists who sold them for not warning about the risks.

Toxic Chemicals

Parents often ask what caused their child to be born with a birth defect. The truth is, several factors can trigger a birth defect, from medication side effects to exposure to toxic chemicals in the uterus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 out of 33 babies are born with a birth deformity. These conditions can vary from minor to serious and even life-threatening. A lot of the time birth defects are an unfortunate genetic anomaly that happens through no fault of the mother. Birth defects can be caused by environmental or chemical exposure during the womb. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, and they increase the risk of irreversible functional or structural problems in offspring.

Many people in the United States are exposed to industrial chemicals on a daily basis. From semiconductor factories and technology with clean rooms, to pesticides that are used on nurseries and farms and even automobile, plastics and paint manufacturing facilities, the list of potentially harmful chemicals is extensive.

A lot of the time, corporations that produce these chemicals don't adequately test them for their potential human-related effects, and it's not unusual to see them fail to include adequate warnings on their products or services. LK's birth defect attorneys can assist families to fight big corporations that put profits ahead of the health and safety of their workers and children.

Environmental Exposure

Having a child with an anomaly in the birth process can be extremely distressing for parents, since it will require medical care throughout their infant's lifetime. Some birth defects can cause mental and physical disabilities for the infant depending on the severity.

Certain birth defects cannot be prevented because of genetics. However, environmental or chemical exposure can cause many others. These can include prescription drugs or toxic chemicals which could be ingested by mothers or from chemical substances that have affected the air or groundwater in a community.

Aside from medical malpractice, birth defect lawsuits can be filed against companies or individuals who are responsible for the injury suffered by the child. If a doctor prescribes a medication that increases the risk of developing a birth defect, they could be held accountable.

The same goes for individuals or businesses that expose employees to hazardous chemicals and other substances. Many studies have shown that exposure to fungicides, pesticides and lead, as well as metals and paints can increase the likelihood of having a child who has certain types of birth defects. Because of this, lawsuits have been filed against beauty salons as well as metal cleaning operations semiconductor manufacturing facilities, and paint factories for their role in the development of serious birth defects in children. Development of a Web-based Integrated Birth Defects Surveillance System in New York State. Wang, Y., Tao, Z., Steen, P.M., Cross, P.K., Druschel, C.M. and Hwang, S-A. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice. 14(6): E1-E10. 2008.