Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

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

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen because of medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and Birth Defect Lawsuits craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defect attorney defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.