Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can cause a lot of grief for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and zvanovec.net result in birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling 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 is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the chance of birth defect lawsuit defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.