Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the expenses 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 a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be due to an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and birth defect attorneys some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and health issues. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.