Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in watertown birth defect lawsuit defects may offer a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and vimeo.com dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects, as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.