Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect law firms defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies which 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 bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth defect lawsuit injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.