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 expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or birth. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect attorney defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for birth defect lawsuits not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or birth defect lawsuits cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from many birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.