Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in birth defect or injury, they can be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medication. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect in order to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.