Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect attorneys defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause a birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of birth injuries if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers 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 workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.