Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating impact on you and birth defect lawsuits your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes the birth defect of their child may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

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. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as 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 are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from various birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.