Birth Defect Compensation

If your child is suffering from an anomaly in the birth then you may be entitled to compensation. These medical conditions can result in expensive hospital bills as well as costly treatments that may continue throughout life.

Modern technology allow medical professionals to spot certain problems and identify them early. Inability to detect these defects could be considered as malpractice.

Medical expenses

A birth defect or injury can be a parent's biggest worry. Many children who suffer from these conditions require a lot of medical attention and rehabilitation at home. This can cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses that might not be covered by Medicare/Medicaid or insurance. This is particularly true for infants with serious congenital disorders, like burns that are severe or paralyzed.

Parents who are suffering through the costs of caring for a child with an injury or birth defect require a dedicated birth defect attorney in their corner. This is particularly important in cases involving medical negligence and birth defects.

The best lawyers will assist parents recover compensation for the medical and home-based expenses that are associated with their child's illness. These costs can include surgery, physical therapy medication, home care, and special equipment. This includes wheelchairs as well as assistive devices that are required to allow the child to lead an enjoyable life.

A claim for compensation in the event of birth defects must be filed in a timely manner which is why it is important to consult an experienced attorney right away. A timely consultation will allow an attorney to review the case and gather evidence to support the claim. The attorney will also determine if there are any other damages that should be included in the claim. This could include compensation for emotional distress caused by medical negligence on the part of a doctor or another health healthcare provider.

Pain and suffering

It can be very stressful for families to to provide medical and support throughout the life of an infant. A DC birth injury attorney can assist you during this difficult time.

If birth defects resulted of medical malpractice, negligence or environmental factors then you might be able to claim compensation. The CDC estimates that there is approximately one in 33 infants born with a birth defect or disability. This includes both congenital diseases and birth injuries. Congenital disorders are a child's condition that are present from the very beginning of life while birth injuries can occur during the pregnancies or during the delivery process. Birth injuries include caput sucedaneum (a swelling of the skull due to pressure when a baby is born head-first) and cephalohematomas (a collection in the scalp of blood).

A nurse, doctor or medical personnel could be held accountable for wrongful actions that result in birth defects when it is demonstrated that a medical professional who was not involved could have detected the issue in the same manner. This could include cases of structural birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, or spina bifida or metabolic birth defects, like cerebral palsy, hypothyroidism or thalidomide.

An experienced birth defect attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your child's medical expenses in the past and the future, pain and suffering, loss of ability to earn an income, and other damages. An attorney can help you determine which costs will be covered in your claim, and gather the evidence needed to build an effective case.

Loss of wages

A birth defect in a child could result in devastating effects for the entire family. In addition to the loss of future earnings, a birth injury or defect could lead to the need for expensive equipment as well as lifelong medical care. Parents can recover damages for these expenses.

There are various types of birth defects that affect different body organs and systems. Some are structural while others are functional. Birth defects that are structural affect the shape and form of a body component while functional birth defects cause problems with the way body systems function. Children with structural birth defects typically require physical therapy or surgery to correct their issues. Children who have a functional birth defects may require special treatment to be able to function in the world (such as a speaking coach).

If a nurse or doctor, or another member of the medical staff, fails to detect a birth defect that should have been detected the person who was injured may be held responsible for negligence. Genetics, chromosomal deformities maternal health, and toxic exposure can all be factors that contributed to the negligence.

A successful birth defect claim could pay a family for medical expenses in pain and suffering lost wages, and other losses. However, these claims frequently meet with a stiff resistance from multimillion dollar healthcare facilities as well as their high-powered legal teams. A skilled birth defect lawyer can take the burden of the case from the shoulders of a family member and take over the legal process and allowing parents to focus on their child.

Disfigurement

The physical changes brought on by a birth defect can be devastating to the entire family. Structural defects can affect the way that someone looks like the case of a lip or cleft palate or the way their body functions, like an illness of the heart, intellectual disabilities, or Down Syndrome. They can also cause pain, discomfort and frustration.

Some birth defects are easy to identify like the cleft lip, however other birth defects require specific tests to determine. Amniocentesis, a medical procedure that allows a healthcare professional to diagnose a birth deformity before the baby is born, or while it's still in the womb.

Other birth defects can be due to complications that arise during the fetus's growth or during labor and birth. If a doctor or other healthcare professional fails to act with enough caution and an injury occurs, it's considered medical negligence and could lead to a birth defect.

In the event of an emergency depending on the circumstances, a birth defect compensation claim can be granted for medical expenses that result from the condition. These can include therapy sessions, surgeries and medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, and speech processing devices for acoustics. A skilled and empathetic medical malpractice attorney can help you build a strong case to recover the amount of compensation your child is due for their injuries.