Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you claim compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and result in birth defects or injuries, they can be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur because of medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens because they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also 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 highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.