Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the expenses of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held liable for birth defect attorney damages when their actions cause birth defects or Birth Defect Attorney injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney (have a peek here) can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could be the result of 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 toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.