New Jersey Spina Bifida Lawyers

Spina Bifida Attorneys in Haddonfield, NJ Handling Cases Involving Spinal Birth Defects in Camden County, Burlington County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey

For babies born with spinal bifida, the impact of this serious birth defect isn’t limited to malformation of the spine. Over their shortened life expectancy, these children can suffer from nerve damage, paralysis, mobility issues, trouble with bladder and bowel control, fluid buildups in the brain that may require surgical intervention, and learning difficulties. You don’t have to watch helplessly as your precious baby suffers the complications of spina bifida. By turning to experienced New Jersey spina bifida lawyers, you can pursue compensation that supports your child’s access to the lifelong medical care they need.

At The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran, we fight for families and ensure children born with serious birth defects can have the highest quality of life possible. We handle claims against negligent healthcare providers at no upfront cost. To explore your options as part of a free consultation, contact us today.

Spina Bifida’s Lifelong Impact on Children

Spina bifida is a serious birth defect that can impact physical and neurological function for a lifetime.

During normal fetal development, the neural tube that forms the baby’s brain, skull, and spine forms and closes, protecting the spinal cords and nerves. In spinal bifida, the neural tube doesn’t close completely. The severity of the disability generally depends on the extent to which the spinal cord and its protective membranes are exposed to damage as a result of openings in the neural tube. Three types of spina bifida occur most commonly.

Spina Bifida Occulta

It’s possible for a child with a neural tube defect to live a life free of disabilities if they have a mild form called spina bifida occulta. In this form of the condition, a small gap exists in the spine, but there is no opening that results in damage to the nerves or spinal cord. While more severe forms of spina bifida can typically be diagnosed at birth, this mild form may not be detected until adulthood because it generally doesn’t cause disability.

Meningocele

A form of spina bifida known as meningocele typically causes only minor disabilities. In this form of neural tube defect, an opening exists in the baby’s spine that allows a sac of fluid to protrude out of the backbone. A child born with meningocele may suffer minimal nerve damage, although it’s also possible for no nerve damage to occur with this condition.

Myelomeningocele

The most serious form of spina bifida is myelomeningocele. In this condition, as in meningocele, a spinal fluid sac protrudes through an opening in the backbone. However, in myelomeningocele, this sac contains part of the spinal cord and nerves. Damage to the nerves and spinal cord can result in severe disabilities, including:

• Paralysis of the legs
• Muscle weakness
• Mobility issues
• Hip dislocation and other orthopedic issues
• Hydrocephalus, a buildup of brain fluid that may require surgery
• Lack of bladder and bowel control
• Infections, including meningitis (a brain infection) and frequent urinary tract infections
• Seizures
• Cognitive impairments
• Learning differences

For babies born with myelomeningocele, the impairments caused by spina bifida can be profound and lifelong. Your child may suffer from paralysis and mobility issues that limit their activities and opportunities throughout their life while also facing numerous other health complications. When a healthcare provider’s negligence was involved in this outcome, it’s possible to hold that practitioner liable for your child’s significant losses. Our New Jersey spina bifida lawyers can help you pursue compensation for the harm your child has suffered—physical, emotional, and financial.

Doctors’ Accountability for Failing to Detect Spina Bifida in New Jersey

It’s often possible to detect the most serious form of spina bifida, myelomeningocele, during pregnancy through prenatal screening tests, including:

• A blood test for elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy
• An ultrasound during the second trimester, typically around 18 to 22 weeks of gestation
• Amniocentesis, a more invasive prenatal test that may be recommended to detect genetic diseases associated with spina bifida when an ultrasound confirms that the baby has myelomeningocele

Early detection of spina bifida, particularly in its most severe form, is critical. The knowledge expectant parents can gain through proper prenatal screening tests allows them to make informed decisions about the future. In some instances, parents may decide not to move forward with the pregnancy due to the profound disabilities the child would be subjected to as a result of the neural tube defect, the extensive and costly medical care they would require, and their overall poor quality of life.

Even if parents would not consider terminating the pregnancy due to a severe birth defect, knowing about their baby’s medical condition early on allows for prompt intervention. Surgery may be necessary to prevent any further damage to the spinal cord and nerves. In some cases, this surgery may be performed while the baby is still in the womb, minimizing the damage to the spinal cord and nerves over the remainder of fetal development.

Doctors’ appropriate efforts to detect spina bifida during pregnancy, inform parents of the risks, and intervene promptly and properly where appropriate can help reduce avoidable suffering. When providers fail to provide adequate prenatal screening, our spina bifida attorneys in Haddonfield, NJ, can help families hold them accountable in the form of birth defects claims or wrongful birth claims. Through these legal actions, families can pursue financial compensation from practitioners whose conduct deviated from the accepted standard of care.

How The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran Can Help Families Facing a Future of Caring for a Child With Spina Bifida

At The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran, our New Jersey spina bifida lawyers approach medical malpractice claims with a dedication to diligent case preparation. We analyze medical records to identify conduct through which a provider failed to meet the standard of care. We work closely with medical experts whose insights can help establish the link between a doctor’s negligent care and your baby’s serious disabling condition.

Your child deserves every dollar of compensation for their future. By considering all of your family’s current losses and your child’s future needs and working with expert witnesses to accurately project economic costs, we’ll pursue a payout that provides your child with the resources they need for the best care and quality of life possible.

Why Choose The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran?

When families turn to our law firm for legal assistance, they get New Jersey spina bifida lawyers with experience handling complex birth defect cases and a proven record of successful recoveries.

Decades of Experience in Legal Practice

The team at The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran has served New Jersey families since 1997 and brings to each claim more than 70 years of combined experience. In the course of representing thousands of clients, we’ve confronted the challenges of the legal process, uncovered deceptive alterations healthcare providers have made in our clients’ medical records, and secured outcomes that benefit our clients.

Deep Understanding of the Complex Medical and Legal Issues Involved in Spina Bifida

To handle your claim as effectively as possible, your attorney must not only know the ins and outs of medical negligence claims generally but also the complexities and complications of spina bifida specifically. With our knowledge of medical complications and legal liability arising out of this birth defect and our close collaborations with medical experts across numerous specialties, we’re prepared to address the challenges that can arise in claims like yours.

A Record of Successful Results for Families

From fetal surgery to lifelong care needs, spina bifida is a condition that can pose massive financial hardships. To secure your child the maximum compensation, you need spina bifida attorneys in Haddonfield, NJ, with a proven history of securing substantial settlements and verdicts. At The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran, we’ve recovered dozens of multimillion-dollar payouts for the families we serve, ensuring children with severe birth defects like myelomeningocele have the resources their care demands.

Contact the New Jersey Spina Bifida Lawyers at The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran Today for a Free Case Review

Families coping with the life-changing challenges of having a baby born with spina bifida are already under so much stress. We help families bear this burden by representing their child’s interests in a claim for compensation at no upfront cost. You can focus on your child’s medical journey while we handle the legal process and pursue the resources your family needs to provide for your child’s unique needs.

For help from spina bifida attorneys in Haddonfield, NJ, contact The Law Offices of Andres, Berger & Tran online or call 856-317-6558 today.