Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. 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 assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help 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 profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their medicines. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who have congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women 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 lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to their impact on the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defect law firms defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.