Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held accountable for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can help determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, winter haven birth defect lawsuit, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause Country Club Hills Birth Defect Lawyer defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of 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 obtained substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from many birth defects as a result of an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.