Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you seek compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to 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 as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and birth defect attorneys dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defect law firms defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and birth defect attorneys toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.