Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on 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 child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defect lawsuit defects could be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or delivery. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen because of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and birth defect other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects the birth defect lawsuit defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to 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 taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.