Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you file for compensation for birth defect attorney the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and 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 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 health condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth defect law firm process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney 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, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses 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 file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause malformed organs. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water Some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defect lawsuit defects and birth defect attorney other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, 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 variety of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.