Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

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 cause birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, Birth defect lawsuits including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect lawsuits defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or the birth. Injuries can include issues like Erb's syndrome that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and birth Defect lawsuits treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the cause of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while 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 obtained substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.