Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can result in many serious problems like 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 make-up, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen because of medications. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women 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 who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were 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 as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as 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 to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.