Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for birth defect you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for Birth defect birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and 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 makeup however, injuries are caused 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 legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen as a result of medications. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect (pro-vst.org`s statement on its official blog) lawyer can help families get compensation for current and future medical expenses related to the injury or disability, as well as loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect in their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from many birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.