Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect attorney defect, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyers defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the reason for the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

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

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

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