Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to numerous serious issues, birth defect attorneys including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect law firm defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, Birth Defect Attorneys 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 craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the cause of the birth defect in order to sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene 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 ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.