Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and result in an injury or birth defect, they can be held accountable for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving plain city birth defect lawyer defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction 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 labor, pregnancy, or the birth. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks of 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 lawyer can assist a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

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. They are trained to find out the root of the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious Waterloo birth defect Law firm defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.