Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth defect lawsuit delivery, or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, birth defect lawsuit DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to review your case, and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause Birth defect lawsuit defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

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