Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for Birth defect lawsuits reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome that occurs when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, birth defect lawsuits and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the reason for the birth defect, so they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in 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 defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

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

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defect lawsuits defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.