Why You Should Hire a birth defect law firm Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you seek compensation to cover the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

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 fees physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of 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, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.