Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery 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 caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and firms your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for firms malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue families of children who have congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in many different situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.