Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause a birth defect or injury, they can be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide 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 to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, Birth Defect Attorneys and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and Birth Defect Attorneys other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyers defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so 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 include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.