Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could have been caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost 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 identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, palm coast birth defect lawsuit as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these palm Coast birth defect Lawsuit defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.