Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you seek compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or birth. 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 injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible 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 shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the injury or birth defect attorney disability, as well as loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect attorney defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the reason for the birth defect so that they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect attorneys defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could 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, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and birth defect attorney water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.