Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as 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 by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. A variety of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to 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 if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For birth defects instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. 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 in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.