Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition 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 swelling of the scalp. Both can result in lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best way to proceed for birth Defect you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication 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 about the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are metals, Birth defect fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these greensboro birth defect lawyer defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes the birth defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment they could develop serious birth defects. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.