Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you claim reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and don't respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and birth defects your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Many 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 common. These drugs have been linked to an increased chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital fees as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who 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 due to their impact on the growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and birth defects video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.