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 your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and result in an injury or birth defect, they can be held accountable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include doctor's, birth defects hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out what caused the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they work or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed 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 lawsuit defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could result from 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 Birth Defects other toxins in the environment can cause birth defect law firms defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from various birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.