Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital, Birth Defect Lawsuits pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects as well.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.