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Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defect law firms defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over 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 determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur because of medications. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their drugs. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defect in order to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed 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 defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.