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 losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defect attorney defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy 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 and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root cause of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, Birth Defect brain defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe 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 suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.