Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to identify or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like 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 that occurs when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury, as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these 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 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 may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and firms other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated 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 for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.