Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) 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 make-up however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or the birth. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and more. These medications have been linked to an increase in chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect law firm defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the reason for the birth defect, so they can sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. 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 an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.