Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for a birth injury when they fail to identify or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.