Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect attorney defect, it can have a devastating effect on your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause an injury or birth defect the doctor could be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail to identify or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the reason behind the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. 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 harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.