Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could be devastating for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defect law firm defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medications. A variety of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to identify the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.