Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of an error birth defect lawsuits made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number 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 baby's arms and limbs 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 significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or in their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

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

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from various birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.