Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards 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 who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen as a result of medications. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out the cause of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or birth defect lawsuits prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of environments, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, birth defect lawsuits silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.