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. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you claim compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be due to a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. 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 events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, birth defect Lawyers brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

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

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured 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 could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defect lawyers defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.