Top Westfield, NY Birth Defect Lawyers Near You

Is Your Child Suffering from a Birth Defect?

If your child has a birth defect, a Westfield birth defect attorney can help you analyze the type of birth defect and its potential cause. He or she can give you pertinent facts that will help you decide whether or not to pursue an action based upon your child’s birth defect.

Liability for a Birth Defect

A birth defect is a congenital disorder or disease that develops during infancy while the child is still in the mother’s womb. Because this is caused by many outside factors, defects are generally not from labor and delivery. A doctor or other hospital staff may be liable for not recognizing a potential birth defect and working to minimize the effects or notify the parents. This type of medical negligence may allow you to collect damages. A skilled birth defect attorney can help you determine your rights.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

What to Expect from an Initial Consultation

• Seek to determine whether the attorney can represent you. There is no one-size-fits-all legal solution and it may turn out your needs are better served by an attorney in a different specialization.
• It’s important to find a legal ally who is both competent in the law and someone you can trust to protect your interests.
• Discuss how the practice’s billing works and discuss possible additional charges or fees that may arise during or after the resolution of your case.

An attorney consultation should provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision on whether to proceed with legal help.

How to Find the Right Attorney

• Determine the area of law that relates to your issue. Attorneys specialize in specific practice areas around legal issues within the broad field of law.
• Seek out recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. A successful attorney or practice will typically have many satisfied clients.
• Set up consultation appointments to get a better understanding of your case as well as gauge your comfort level with different attorneys. Find the attorney who is the right fit for your needs.

Common legal terms explained

Plaintiff – a person or party who brings a lawsuit against another person(s) or party/parties in a court of law. Private persons or parties can only file suit in civil court.

Judgment – A decision of the court. Also known as a decree or order. Judgments handed down by the court are usually binding on the parties before the court.