Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in birth defect attorney defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be the result of an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or properly respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of 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 can lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defect law firms defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures 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 a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.