Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or do not respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect law firm defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks of their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.