Birth Injury vs. Birth Defect
It is important to understand the difference between birth injuries and birth defects. Depending on the nature of the issue affecting your child, you may or may not be eligible to file a claim seeking compensation for your damages.
Birth defects, also called congenital defects, are conditions that develop prior to birth during the prenatal phase. They can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Genetics
- Environmental toxins
- Infection
- Abnormalities in the mother’s womb
- Abnormal development while in the womb
- Adverse reactions to drugs taken during pregnancy
In general, most birth defects are not preventable and therefore you usually won’t be able to receive compensation for your child’s injury. However, there are certain exceptions. If your child’s birth defect was caused by an adverse reaction to a drug taken by the mother during pregnancy, you may be entitled to receive compensation from the drug manufacturer in a pharmaceutical injurylawsuit. A common example of a drug that increases your child’s risk of a birth defect is Topamax, a popular epilepsy drug which often results in oral cleft injuries for the baby.
Birth injuries ariseduring labor and delivery. They often occur when a there is a problem during the birth process. If this problem was due to the doctor’s negligence, you may be entitled to receive compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
The Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at the Yost Legal Group have been helping the victims of birth injuries for more than 20 years, and we have extensive experience handling these complex claims. We will thoroughly review the details of your case to determine whether negligence played a role in your child’s injury. If so, we will fight aggressively to help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Please contact the Yost Legal Group today to schedule your free initial consultation. We serve clients in Baltimore, Maryland.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 at 6:04 pm and is filed under Birth Defect. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
