Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuit defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and birth defect attorneys chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are found in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and birth defect attorneys occupational medicine experts.