Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for vimeo the costs of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defects or injuries, they can be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain olive branch birth defect lawsuit defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. 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 or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

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

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from many birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.