Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was 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 add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause 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 option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medications. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and birth defect Attorney heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.