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. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer and a birth defect lawyer as soon as you can.
You’ll need to collect bills as well as receipts, credit cards payments, and other evidence of your losses to be able to claim full reimbursement for your losses. We have successfully represented families in claims against major electronics companies as well as agricultural pesticide producers and commercial growers.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice or errors that occur during pregnancy can be the cause of many birth defects. Some of these issues are more severe than others, but any birth defect or injury can be devastating for the child and the family members who love them. A medical malpractice lawyer will help determine if the doctor’s error that caused the injury or defect.
Certain birth defects are easily detected through screening tests that doctors perform during pregnancy. When these tests are performed and interpreted correctly, the parents can be informed of the chance that their child may have a birth defect. This information may enable them to decide to terminate the pregnancy or at the very least plan for the birth of the child and treatment. If the physician fails to conduct or interpret these tests or fails to inform parents of the results, it could be deemed medical malpractice.
Medical treatments for birth defect are often expensive. They can involve surgeries, specialists, medication, physical and speech therapy, and assistive devices. A lawsuit based on wrongful birth can help alleviate the cost of these expenses. This will enable families to provide the care their child requires. Medical malpractice lawsuits are complex and time-sensitive, hence it’s important to hire an experienced attorney as quickly as possible.
Prescription Drugs
Despite the advances in medical science and advances in technology birth problems and injuries are possible. Birth injuries and birth defects could be serious or minor and require ongoing medical attention. In some cases, they could 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 and doctor’s appointments, rehabilitation services, assistive devices and many more.
A doctor could be guilty of medical negligence if they prescribe a medication to a pregnant woman that increases her child’s risk of developing a birth deformity. They are required to be aware of the effects of medications on the development of a fetus and not prescribe drugs harmful to the fetus.
Prescription medications that increase the risk of having a birth defect are referred to as teratogens. They include anti-seizure medication like Dilantin, Lamictal, Tegretol and Topamax. The FDA has warned against using these drugs during pregnancy. They could increase the risk of cleft lips and cleft palates as well as brain, lung and heart abnormalities. These medications can also cause miscarriage in women who are pregnant, or nursing. Parents can take action against doctors, drug manufacturers and pharmacists for failing inform them of the risks.
Toxic Chemicals
When a baby is born with a birth defect parents often wonder what the cause is. The truth is, many different factors could cause a birth defect, from side effects of medication to exposure to toxic chemicals in the uterus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 33 babies are born with a birth defect. These birth defects can be serious or minor or even life-threatening. Most of the time a birth defect is a result of genetic abnormalities. Birth defects are often caused by environmental or chemical exposure during the womb. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens and increase the risk of irreparable functional or structural problems in offspring.
Many Americans are exposed to industrial chemicals every day. The list of potentially harmful chemicals is long, covering semiconductor and technology factories equipped with clean rooms, to pesticides that are used in nurseries and farms, as well as plastics, paint, automobiles, and paint manufacturing facilities.
A lot of the time, corporations that produce these chemicals do not properly test them for their possible effects on humans and it’s not unusual to see them fail to include adequate warnings in their products or services. The birth defect attorneys at LK can assist families in fighting against corporations that put profits ahead of the health and safety of their employees and children.
Environmental Exposure
Parents can be extremely disturbed by a child’s birth defect as they have to provide medical care throughout the existence of their infant. Some birth defects can lead to physical and mental disabilities in the child for life dependent on the severity.
While certain birth defects are inevitable due to genetics, many others can be triggered due to exposure to chemicals or the environment during pregnancy. This includes prescription drugs as well as toxic chemicals that the mother might ingest, or chemical substances that have been found to be contaminated in air or groundwater.
In addition to medical malpractice, birth defect lawsuits can also be filed against businesses or individuals that are accountable for the injury suffered by the child. For instance, if a doctor prescribes a drug which increases the risk of your child’s birth defect law firms defect the doctor could be held responsible.
It’s also true for those who expose their employees to harmful chemicals and substances. Numerous studies have shown exposure to pesticides, fungicides as well as metals, paints, and lead can increase the risk of a child developing certain types of birth defects. In order to combat this issue the courts have filed lawsuits against beauty salons as well as metal cleaning operations, as well semiconductor manufacturing facilities and painting factories. Web-based Integrated Birth Defects 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.