Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and 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 infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are present in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them 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 a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.