Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defect lawsuit defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition may be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This could lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility 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. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their drugs. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out the cause of the birth defect so that they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for 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 of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defect law firm defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defect Lawsuit defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.