Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the root cause of an infant'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 as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to discover the reason for the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

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 name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects too.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from many birth defect law firms defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.