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 mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong 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 attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses related to the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or birth defects hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for birth defects plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.