Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth Defect attorneys birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for the future and birth defect attorneys present medical expenses related to the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action 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. They are trained to determine what caused the birth defect, so they can sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

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

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.