Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. 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 error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine 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 the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. A variety of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawsuits defect lawyer can help families get reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as teratogens because they affect the growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney 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 can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from various birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.