Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling 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 lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind a child's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or birth defect attorney absorb contaminants from the environment They could 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 and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from various birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.