Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for a birth injury when they fail to recognize or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for the child's birth defect lawsuit injury or defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawsuit defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to find out the cause of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that 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 herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them 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 these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by 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. Some of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.