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 expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb 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 meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for birth defect lawyers not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the root of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and Birth defect lawyers cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that the birth defect law firms defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.