Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can be devastating for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the cost of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth defect law firm injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defect law firm defects will provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and birth Defect lawyers the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment they could develop serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.