Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in an injury or birth defect the doctor could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

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

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged 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 birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for current and future medical expenses associated with the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defect law firms defects, so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by 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 can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, [Redirect Only] arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers (like it) have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defect law firm defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.