Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help you seek reimbursement for the expenses 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 possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defect lawsuit defects will offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, birth Defect law brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, Birth Defect Law which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital fees as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defect Law defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defect law defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that the birth defect attorneys defect of their child may result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, 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 myriad of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.