Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can be devastating for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defect attorney defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best option for you and birth defect lawyer your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their products. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors 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 and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer 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.