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 that specializes in birth defects may be able to help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and birth Defects cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) 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 however, injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or birth defect lawsuits. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent 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 in order to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defect lawsuits defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.