Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits [right here on Fpcom Co] can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to review your case, and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well assistive 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 that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

LK's skilled birth defect law firm defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and Birth defect lawsuits chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.