Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in talladega birth defect attorney defects can help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for Cedarburg Birth Defect Lawyer defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

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

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either 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 since they interfere with the development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and 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 a variety of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the monticello birth defect lawsuit defect of their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of 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 at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.