Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, Birth Defect Attorneys or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best option for law you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account the 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 failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families get reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect attorney defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.