Birth Defect Attorney in Rhode Island

Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Prenatal Testing, Diagnosis & Congenital Conditions

Not every harm a child is born with results from negligence during labor and delivery. When a congenital condition goes undetected because a provider misread a prenatal ultrasound, failed to order indicated genetic screening, or never communicated an abnormal newborn screening result, the legal theory is medical malpractice rooted in diagnostic and counseling failures. Decof, Mega & Quinn, P.C. has represented Rhode Island families in exactly these kinds of cases since 1975.

A birth defect is a health problem present at birth that can stem from a genetic disorder, an environmental exposure during pregnancy, or a maternal infection. That’s distinct from a birth injury, which occurs during labor or delivery and is often tied to decisions made in the delivery room. Malpractice claims involving congenital conditions generally focus on how a condition was tested for, identified, communicated to parents, and addressed before or after birth.

If you believe a missed or delayed diagnosis of a congenital condition contributed to your child’s harm, call our Rhode Island birth defect attorneys today at (401) 200-4059 to discuss your family’s situation at no charge. You can also contact us online.

Where Negligence Arises in Congenital Condition Cases

Prenatal care and newborn screening create multiple checkpoints where a provider failure can alter a child’s outcome. Rhode Island law requires every birthing hospital to screen newborns for 35 metabolic, endocrine, and hemoglobin conditions, plus hearing loss and critical congenital heart disease, before discharge. That screening exists because early intervention can help prevent death or lasting disability. When results are ignored or never conveyed to a family, the consequences can be severe.

The types of negligence that commonly appear in these cases include:

• Misinterpreted ultrasound or genetic screening results that left a structural or chromosomal condition undetected during pregnancy
• Failure to order testing indicated by documented risk factors such as advanced maternal age, family history, or prior pregnancy complications
• Failure to communicate results or treatment options to parents, depriving them of the ability to make informed decisions about the pregnancy or newborn care
• Delayed or missed maternal-fetal medicine referral when a high-risk pregnancy required subspecialty evaluation
• Failure to act on an abnormal newborn screening result before symptoms appeared and harm was done

Rhode Island medical malpractice claims require medical witness testimony to establish both the standard of care and causation. Demonstrating what a reasonably careful provider should have done and how a different course of action could have changed the outcome is the analytical work that drives these cases.

Why Medical Record Analysis Determines These Cases

Congenital condition malpractice cases are built on technical records: prenatal testing documentation, ultrasound imaging, genetic screening data, and newborn diagnostic results. Evaluating those records requires medical consultants who understand the standards applied in maternal-fetal medicine, genetics, and neonatology. That’s where our depth matters.

Nine of our attorneys have extensive experience in medical malpractice litigation, and we work with a network of medical consultants who analyze records and interpret complex clinical evidence. We’ve recovered more than $1 billion for our clients, including Rhode Island’s largest medical malpractice verdict and the state’s second-largest personal injury judgment. Our attorneys are recognized by Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Lawdragon, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Rhode Island Filing Deadlines for Congenital Condition Claims

Rhode Island medical malpractice claims are generally governed by a three-year statute of limitations under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14.1. The clock runs from the date of the incident giving rise to the claim. Where a condition or its connection to a provider failure couldn’t reasonably have been discovered at that time, the three-year period runs instead from when the injury should have been discovered through reasonable diligence.

For minors, Rhode Island law provides additional time. A child on whose behalf no claim was filed within three years of the incident may bring the action at any point up to age twenty-one. Rhode Island imposes no statutory cap on economic or non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.

Speak With a Rhode Island Birth Defect Lawyer at No Upfront Cost

If your family is dealing with a congenital condition that may have been missed, misdiagnosed, or inadequately communicated, we want to hear from you. A consultation is free, and we work on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we secure a financial recovery for your family.

Our clients have direct access to their attorneys throughout the process. You won’t be handed off to support staff when you have a question. To speak with a birth defect attorney at Decof, Mega & Quinn, P.C., call (401) 200-4059.