Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur because of medications. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and [empty] other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defect law firms defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause malformed organs. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

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

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (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 to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.