Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawsuits defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or Birth defect Attorney properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to discover the cause of the birth defect so that they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in 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 who have children who were born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and birth defect attorney a few can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.