Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawsuit defect lawyer can assist you in filing claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition could be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size 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 in order to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind a child's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the root of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and birth defect attorneys other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects as well.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.