Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be liable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from 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 as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer 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 could be able to help parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen because of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be present in a variety environments, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various 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 birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the canastota birth defect attorney defect of their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause brewton birth Defect attorney defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from many birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.