Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is 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 lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and result in flagler beach birth defect attorney defect or injury, they can be held accountable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and don't respond appropriately. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the reason for the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, Attorneys because they can influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.