Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and birth defects you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to recognize or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with 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 root of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be found in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety 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 such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.