Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity, it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect, so they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the 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 serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors as well as 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 caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.