Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could 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 can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify what caused the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to 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 are used 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), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.