Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in a birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held responsible for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth, and Birth Defect caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of the birth injury or birth defect defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defect lawsuit defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.