Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defect lawsuit defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is crucial 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. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in a birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or Birth Defect Attorneys delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

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

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of environments, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for exposing the 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 toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys (visit this web page link) have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.