Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the cause for an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medications. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and birth Defect Lawsuit brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC Birth defect Lawsuit (http://www.encoskr.com) injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.