Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in jacksonville birth defect Attorney defects lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. 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 be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect in order to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for birth defect lawyer the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with 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 birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and white settlement birth Defect lawsuit toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.