New Jersey Prenatal Genetic Testing, Screening, and Counseling Lawsuit and Settlement Attorneys

What Is Prenatal Genetic Testing, Screening, and Counseling and How Can They Lead to a Lawsuit?

Miraculous scientific advances in prenatal genetic testing and screening over the past several decades have enabled medical providers to detect serious and life-threatening conditions in advance of the birth of a child. When properly applied, these advances, combined with skilled professional counseling, permit parents to make informed personal decisions about how to proceed in one of the most important events of their lives – bringing a child into the world.

Prenatal genetic testing and screening are typically performed on:

• Carriers (including parents and donors);
• Embryos as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF); and
• Fetuses in utero as part of prenatal examinations (such as NIPT, CVS, ultrasound, and amniocentesis).

Prenatal genetic testing and screening is now able to detect a host of different serious and life-threatening conditions. These types of conditions include:

• Down Syndrome;
• Edwards Syndrome;
• Patau Syndrome;
• Cystic Fibrosis;
• Sickle Cell Disease;
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA);
• Tay-Sachs Disease;
• Fragile X Syndrome;
• Thalassemia;
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy;
• Neurofibromatosis; and
• Huntington’s Disease.

Medical providers (including physicians, diagnostic labs, and prenatal genetic counselors) have a duty to provide proper prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling. They have a duty to explain, in words that the parents can understand, all material information and risks necessary for the parents to make an informed decision. Failing to live up to that duty can deprive parents of the right to make crucial personal decisions and result in grave injuries to a child.

Unfortunately, these tragic failures happen all too often, leading to lawsuits based upon claims including the following circumstances:

• failing to recommend or provide sufficient information about prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling;
• failing to conduct appropriate prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling;
• failing to perform follow-up prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling;
• failing to detect a discoverable condition;
• failing to accurately read and interpret test results; and
• failing to issue a correct diagnosis, without missed or misinterpreted prenatal genetic results.

If you believe that you or a member of your family has suffered injuries from improper prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling, you may be entitled to compensation. Stark & Stark is a national law firm pursuing thousands of cases throughout the country. We are not a marketing group. Stark & Stark has been in business for over 80 years and has over 85 experienced attorneys in offices located throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, ready to talk to you about your potential claim.

Please let us help you. We have the resources to take on the largest medical providers and their insurance companies. We only handle these cases on a contingency fee basis – so if we do not successfully resolve your case, you owe us nothing. Contact us today for a confidential and free consultation.

What are New Jersey Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Life Claims?

New Jersey is at the forefront of using its laws to protect parents and children from improper or erroneous prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling. Accordingly, both “wrongful birth” and “wrongful life” claims are viable under New Jersey law. Essentially, a wrongful birth claim is brought by parents for costs of past and future medical care and emotional distress. A wrongful life claim is brought on behalf of the child for the costs of the extraordinary medical expenses needed for care throughout the child’s life.

Together, these claims address the costs and trauma of a family’s struggles engendered by a child living with profound disabilities. Damages that can be recovered under New Jersey law include:

• Specialized treatments, therapies, and surgeries;
• Lifelong daily nursing care;
• Home modifications and adaptive technologies;
• Specialized education, training, and rehabilitation;
• Parents’ current and future income lost while caring for the child; and
• Compensation for the emotional distress and mental anguish experienced by parents.

If you believe that you or a member of your family may have a claim, we strongly recommend that you seek counsel experienced in New Jersey wrongful birth and wrongful life claims. Stark & Stark’s prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling litigation and settlement attorneys are actively litigating claims and seeking settlements on behalf of their clients. Contact us at no cost or obligation to you.

Contact a New Jersey Prenatal Genetic Testing, Screening, and Counseling Lawyer to Assess Your Claim.

If you or a member of your family has suffered injuries from prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling, you may be entitled to compensation through the litigation process or via settlement. Please contact Stark & Stark to speak with one of our prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling attorneys, free of charge, who can help walk you through the wrongful birth and wrongful life lawsuit and settlement process and assess any claims that you may have.

Stark and Stark practices in the state and federal courthouses throughout New Jersey, including:

• Atlantic County (Atlantic City)
• Bergen County (Hackensack)
• Burlington County (Mount Holly)
• Camden County (Camden)
• United States District Court, District of New Jersey (Camden)
• Cape May County (Middle Township)
• Cumberland County (Bridgeton)
• Essex County (Newark)
• United States District Court, District of New Jersey (Newark)
• Gloucester County (Woodbury)
• Hudson County (Jersey City)
• Hunterdon County (Flemington)
• Mercer County (Trenton)
• United States District Court, District of New Jersey (Trenton)
• Middlesex County (New Brunswick)
• Monmouth County (Freehold)
• Morris County (Morristown)
• Ocean County (Toms River)
• Passaic County (Paterson)
• Salem County (Salem)
• Somerset County (Somerville)
• Sussex County (Newton)
• Union County (Elizabeth)
• Warren County (Belvidere)

Here is a list of New Jersey hospitals that may have treated you or a loved one for injuries sustained due to improper or faulty prenatal genetic testing, screening, and counseling, however this list is not all-inclusive.

Hospital	City	State
Atlantic Health System – Mountainside Hospital	Montclair	NJ
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center	Atlantic City	NJ
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center – Mainland Division	Pomona	NJ
Bayshore Community Hospital	Holmdel	NJ
Cape Regional Medical Center	Cape May Court House	NJ
Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell	Pennington	NJ
Capital Health System – Fuld	Trenton	NJ
Carepoint Health – Bayonne Medical Center	Bayonne	NJ
Carepoint Health-Christ Hospital	Jersey City	NJ
Carepoint Health-Hoboken University Medical Center	Hoboken	NJ
Centrastate Medical Center	Freehold	NJ
Chilton Memorial Hospital	Pompton Plains	NJ
Clara Maass Medical Center	Belleville	NJ
Columbus Hospital	Newark	NJ
Community Medical Center	Toms River	NJ
East Orange General Hospital	East Orange	NJ
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center	Englewood	NJ
Hackensack University Medical Center	Hackensack	NJ
Hackensack-UMC At Pascack Valley	Westwood	NJ
Hackensack-UMC Mountainside	Montclair	NJ
Hackettstown Regional Medical Center	Hackettstown	NJ
Holy Name Hospital	Teaneck	NJ
Hudson Surgical Center	Kearny	NJ
Hunterdon Medical Center	Flemington	NJ
Inspira Health Center Bridgeton	Bridgeton	NJ
Inspira Medical Center – Elmer	Elmer	NJ
Inspira Medical Center Vineland	Vineland	NJ
Inspira Medical Center Woodbury	Woodbury	NJ
Jersey City Medical Center	Jersey City	NJ
Jersey Shore Medical Center	Neptune	NJ
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Medical Center	Edison	NJ
Kennedy Memorial Hospital – Stratford	Stratford	NJ
Kennedy Memorial Hospital – University Medical Center Cherry Hill	Cherry Hill	NJ
Kennedy Memorial Hospital – Washington Township	Turnersville	NJ
Kindred Hospital – New Jersey – Morris County	Dover	NJ
Kindred Hospital New Jersey At Wayne Hospital	Wayne	NJ
Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County	Willingboro	NJ
Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center	Secaucus	NJ
Memorial Hospital of Salem County	Salem	NJ
Monmouth Medical Center	Long Branch	NJ
Monmouth Medical Center-Southern Campus	Lakewood	NJ
Morristown Memorial Hospital	Morristown	NJ
New Jersey State Prison Hospital	Trenton	NJ
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center	Newark	NJ
Newton Memorial Hospital	Newton	NJ
Ocean Medical Center	Brick	NJ
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center	Camden	NJ
Overlook Hospital	Summit	NJ
Overlook Medical Center	Union	NJ
Palisades Medical Center	North Bergen	NJ
Raritan Bay Medical Center – Old Bridge	Old Bridge	NJ
Raritan Bay Medical Center – Perth Amboy	Perth Amboy	NJ
Riverview Medical Center	Red Bank	NJ
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital	New Brunswick	NJ
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton	Hamilton Square	NJ
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway	Rahway	NJ
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset	Somerville	NJ
Saint Barnabas Medical Center	Livingston	NJ
Saint Clares Hospital – Denville	Denville	NJ
Saint Clares Hospital – Dover Campus	Dover	NJ
Saint Clares Hospital – Sussex Campus	Sussex	NJ
Saint Francis Medical Center	Trenton	NJ
Saint Josephs Regional Medical Center	Paterson	NJ
Saint Josephs Wayne Hospital	Wayne	NJ
Saint Marys Hospital – Passaic	Passaic	NJ
Saint Michaels Medical Center	Newark	NJ
Saint Peters University Hospital	New Brunswick	NJ
Shore Medical Center	Somers Point	NJ
Shore Memorial Hospital	Somers Point	NJ
Somerset Medical Center	Somerville	NJ
South Jersey Health Care Center	Camden	NJ
Southern Ocean County Hospital	Manahawkin	NJ
St. Luke’s Hospital – Warren Campus	Phillipsburg	NJ
St. Mary’s General Hospital	Passaic	NJ
The Cooper University Hospital	Camden	NJ
The University Hospital	Newark	NJ
Trinitas Hospital – New Point Campus	Elizabeth	NJ
Trinitas Regional Medical Center	Elizabeth	NJ
Univ Medical Center of Princeton At Plainsboro	Plainsboro	NJ
University Medical Center at Princeton	Princeton	NJ
Valley Hospital	Ridgewood	NJ
Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System East – Orange Campus	East Orange	NJ
Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System – Lyons Facility	Lyons	NJ
Virtua Memorial Hospital of Burlington County	Mount Holly	NJ
Virtua West Jersey Hospital – Berlin	Berlin	NJ
Virtua West Jersey Hospital – Camden	Camden	NJ
Virtua West Jersey Hospital – Marlton	Marlton	NJ
Virtua West Jersey Hospital – Voorhees	Voorhees	NJ
William B Kessler Memorial Hospital	Hammonton	NJ

Please contact Stark & Stark today, for a confidential and free consultation. Do not wait, because there are different deadlines and statutes of limitations that apply to your claims.