Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to diagnose or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawsuit defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the cause of the birth defect to sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or birth defect lawsuit lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

LK's skilled birth defect law firms defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.