Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify or birth defect attorneys properly respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. While many birth defect law firms defects are the result of genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses related to the disability or injury and also loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, may 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 can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.