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. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These medications have been linked to an increase in chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn 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 pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, Birth Defect and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the root of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.