Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can be devastating for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be accountable for a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to fetal distress. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen as a result of medications. Many common 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 commonly used. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are present in a variety environments, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defect law firms defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order 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 on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects too.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.