Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, Birth defect attorneys they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, as well as loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defect attorney defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or birth defect attorneys exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.