Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for you and your entire family. 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 children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. 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 pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for birth defect lawsuits future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury as well as loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect law firm defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover what caused the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.