Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect attorney defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. 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

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of locations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could result from medical negligence, defect prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an 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 taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and defect benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.