Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail to identify or properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen because of medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defect law firm defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in 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 can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.