Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and 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 lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and Birth Defect ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and birth defect 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 lead to abnormal organs or prevent 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 are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe 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 chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like 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 manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.