Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and 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 labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out what caused the shippensburg birth defect attorney defect to file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions 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 and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause speedway Birth Defect attorney defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from various birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.