Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the root of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medication. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defect law firm defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number 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 obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be 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 among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.