Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and birth defect lawsuits other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should 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. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be the result of 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 could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or the birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.