Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect law firms defect or injury or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth defect lawsuit birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy 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 occurring during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or ruptured 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 ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects as a result of an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.