Why It Is Important to Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
Being aware that your child has an abnormal birth defect can transform what should have been an exciting time into a stressful and unsure experience. It is crucial to contact an attorney for medical malpractice and birth defect lawyer immediately.
You’ll need to collect bills and receipts, credit card payments, and other evidence of your losses to get full compensation for your damages. We have successfully represented families in court cases against large electronics companies as well as agricultural pesticide producers and commercial growers.
Medical Malpractice
Many birth defects are caused by medical errors or malpractice that occurred during pregnancy. Certain of these problems are more severe than others, but all birth defects or injuries can be devastating for the baby and their loved ones. An attorney for medical malpractice can help determine whether the doctor’s error that caused the defect or injury.
Some birth defects are easily detected through screening tests performed by doctors during pregnancy. These tests can be conducted and properly to inform parents about the possibility that their child might have a birth defect. This information helps them decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or prepare for the birth and treatment of the child. Medical malpractice can be a problem if the doctor fails to interpret or conduct these tests, or failing to inform parents of the results.
Medical treatments for birth defects are usually expensive. These treatments include surgeries, specialists, medication physical and speech therapies and assistive devices. The compensation a wrongful birth lawsuit can assist in easing the financial burden that is due to these expenses and make it easier for families to access the care their child needs. Medical malpractice claims can be complicated and time-sensitive. It is therefore essential to seek out an experienced attorney as soon as you can.
Prescription Drugs
Despite the advancements in medical science and modern technology, birth injuries and birth defects are possible. Birth injuries and birth defects can be mild or severe and require life-long medical care. In some cases they can even lead to death. A Boston dangerous drug lawyer can help parents recover compensation for their child’s present and future medical expenses, including hospital procedures and doctor’s appointments rehabilitation services, assistive devices, and many more.
If a physician prescribes medication to a pregnant mother that increases the chances of her child’s developing a birth defect, they could be guilty of medical malpractice. They must know what medications can affect the development of the fetus, and not prescribe drugs harmful to the embryo.
Prescription medicines that increase the risk of having a birth defect are known as Teratogens. They include anti-seizure medications like Dilantin, Lamictal, Tegretol and Topamax. The FDA has warned against the use of these medications during pregnancy. They may increase the risk of cleft lips and cleft palates and brain, lung and heart abnormalities. These drugs can also cause miscarriage in women who are pregnant, or nursing. Parents can take action against doctors, drug manufacturers and pharmacists for failing to warn of the dangers.
Toxic Chemicals
When a child is born with a birth defect, parents often wonder about what was the cause. The truth is, many different factors can trigger birth defects, ranging from drug-related side effects to toxic chemical exposure in utero.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 1 out of 33 babies are born with a birth defect. These birth defects could be minor or serious or even life-threatening. The majority of the time birth defects are an unfortunate genetic defect that occurs through no fault of the mother. Birth defects can be caused by chemical or environmental exposure during the womb. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens and increase the risk of functional or structural problems that are not reverseable in offspring.
There are a huge variety of industrial chemicals that have been linked to birth defects and other reproductive harms and many people around the country are exposed these chemicals every day. From semiconductor factories and technology with clean rooms, to pesticides that are used on nurseries and farms as well as automobile, plastics and paint manufacturing facilities The list of harmful chemicals is extensive.
Most of the time, the corporations that produce these chemicals don’t adequately test them for their potential adverse effects on humans, and it’s not unusual for them to not include adequate warnings in their products and services. The lawyers from LK’s birth defects can assist families fight large corporations that put profit ahead of the health and safety of their employees and children.
Environmental Exposure
Being a parent of a child who has an anomaly in the birth process can be extremely distressing for parents, as it will require medical treatment throughout their infant’s lifetime. Based on the severity of the problem, certain birth defects can cause life-long physical and mental disabilities for the baby.
While some birth defects are unavoidable due to genetics, others can be triggered by exposure to chemicals or environmental elements during pregnancy. These can include prescription drugs or toxic chemicals that can be consumed by the mother or from chemicals that have contaminated the air or groundwater in a community.
Birth defect lawsuits aren’t restricted to medical malpractice. They can also be brought against individuals or businesses who are accountable for the injuries of the child. If a doctor prescribes a medication that increases the chance of having a birth defect then they could be held responsible.
The same goes for individuals or businesses that expose employees to hazardous chemicals and other substances. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exposure to fungicides, pesticides in combination with lead, metals, and paints can increase the likelihood of having a child suffering from certain types of birth defects. Because of this, lawsuits have been filed against beauty salons, metal cleaning operations, semiconductor manufacturing facilities and paint factories due to their role in the development of serious birth defects in children. The development of a Web-based integrated Birth Defects Surveillance System for 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.