Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can help determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor birth defect lawyers may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of 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. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also 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 highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.