Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you seek compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and cause birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, birth defect lawyers they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine what caused the birth defect to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.