Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can be devastating for the entire family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead 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 can interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, Birth defect attorneys they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

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

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.