Why You Should Hire a birth defect law firm Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect, so they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant 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

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

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defect attorney defects.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.