Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root cause of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defect lawsuit defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings, birth defect attorneys including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.