Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses 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 disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or delivery. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and birth defect attorneys determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth defect law firm injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and Birth defect attorneys cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.