Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for birth defect your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. The causes of injuries include issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the cause of the birth defect lawsuit defect, so they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.