So You ve Bought Birth Defect Attorneys ... Now What

Why It Is Important to Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If you discover that your child was born with a birth defect, what could be a joyful time can quickly turn into one filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Contact an attorney for medical malpractice and birth defect lawyer as soon as is possible.

You will need to gather bills and receipts, credit card payments and other evidence of your losses to receive the full amount of compensation for your damages. We have successfully represented families in cases against big electronics companies, agricultural pesticide makers and commercial growers.

Medical Malpractice

Many birth defects are the result of medical errors or malpractice that occurred during the pregnancy. Certain of these problems are more serious than others but they can all be devastating to the child and loved ones. A medical malpractice lawyer can help determine if a doctor made an error that led to the injury or defect.

Doctors can detect some birth defects through screening tests during pregnancy. When these tests are carried out and properly, parents can be informed of the possibility of their child developing birth defect. This information can enable them to decide to end the pregnancy or at least prepare for the birth of the child and treatment. If the doctor fails to conduct 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 defect can be costly. They can involve procedures, specialists, medications as well as speech and physical therapy, as well as assistive devices. A wrongful birth lawsuit could aid in easing the burden of these costs. This will allow families to provide the support their child needs. Medical malpractice lawsuits are extremely complex and time-sensitive, hence it's important to hire a reputable attorney as soon as possible.

Prescription Drugs

Despite recent medical advances and advances in technology birth problems and injuries are possible. birth defect lawsuits defects of a mild or severe nature and injuries often require lifelong medical attention. In certain cases, they can even lead to death. A Boston dangerous drug lawyer can assist parents recover compensation for their child's current and future medical expenses, such as procedures in the hospital or doctor's office rehabilitation services, assistive devices, and more.

A physician could be committing medical malpractice if they recommend a medication to a pregnant woman that increases the likelihood of her child developing a birth deformity. They are required to know what medications can affect fetal development and not prescribe drugs that could be harmful to the embryo.

Prescription drugs that increase the risk of having a birth defect are known as Teratogens. They include anti-seizure medications such as Dilantin, Lamictal, Tegretol and Topamax. The FDA has issued a warning against the use of these drugs in pregnancy. These medications can increase the risk of having cleft lips, cleft palates and lung, heart and other brain disorders. These drugs also pose a possibility of miscarriage among women who are nursing or pregnant. Parents may sue doctors, the makers of the drugs and the pharmacists who gave them for failing to warn about the risks.

Toxic Chemicals

When a baby is born with a birth defect, parents often wonder about what caused it. Birth defects can be caused by a range of causes, including medication side effects and exposure to toxic chemicals during pregnancy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1 out of 33 babies are born with a birth deformity. These problems can vary from minor to serious and can even be life-threatening. Most of the time, a birth defect is an unfortunate genetic anomaly that happens through no fault of the mother. However, a significant number of birth defects are caused by exposure to chemicals or other environmental factors that takes place during the womb. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens and they increase the risk of functional or structural defects that are not reverseable in offspring.

Many Americans are exposed to industrial chemicals every day. From semiconductor and technology factories with clean rooms to pesticides on farms and nurseries and plastics, automobiles and paint manufacturing plants, the list of potentially harmful chemicals is a long one.

It's not unusual for companies to fail to inform their customers of the dangers that could be posed by these chemicals. Our birth defect lawyers can assist families fight big corporations that put profits before the health and safety their employees and children.

Environmental Exposure

Having a child with an anomaly in the birth process can be extremely stressful for parents since they will require medical attention throughout the life of their child. Depending on the severity the condition, certain birth defect attorneys defects could cause physical and mental impairments for the baby.

While some birth defects are unavoidable due to genetics. Many others can be caused by exposure to chemicals or environmental elements during pregnancy. These include prescription drugs as well as toxic chemicals that the mother could ingest, or chemical substances that have been found to be contaminated in groundwater or air.

In addition to medical malpractice, birth defect lawsuits can be filed against companies or individuals who are responsible for the injuries suffered by the child. For instance, if a doctor prescribes a medicine that can increase the chance of the birth defect of your child, they may be found to be responsible.

The same goes for companies or individuals who expose workers to dangerous chemicals and other substances. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exposure to fungicides, pesticides, lead, metals and paints can increase the likelihood of having a child born with certain birth defects. In order to combat this issue, lawsuits were filed against beauty salons, metal cleaning operations as well as semiconductor manufacturing facilities and painting factories. Development of a web-based integrated Birth Defects Surveillance Program 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.