Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defect attorneys defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, as well as loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and birth defect lawyers other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.