Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (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 an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root cause of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks of 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 during the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.