Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail to identify or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a salinas birth defect lawsuit defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or Lawsuits during delivery. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome that occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, lawsuits and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could 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 proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth deformities. They are trained to discover the root of the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be the 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 contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

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

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.