Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, 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, while injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to identify the root of the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus through producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth defect lawyers injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.