Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity, it can be devastating for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can help determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect law firms defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.