Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in Birth Defect lawsuit defects could 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 and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth defect lawsuit injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect law firm defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for birth Defect lawsuit you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney 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 the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. A variety of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks of their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.