Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can cause a lot of grief for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for levelland birth defect attorney defects could be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size 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 birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and Firms determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, firms they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. 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 workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in many different situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects, as well as other health issues. 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 well-known to increase the risk of birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.