Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and birth defect lawyer hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. 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 take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for current and future medical expenses related to the injury or disability, and also loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting 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 that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and birth defect lawyer embryologists.