Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. 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 accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the root of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major birth defect lawyer defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defect attorney defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.