Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect 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 may be able to help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for Birth defect lawsuits birth defects may be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow 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 damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or birth. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the reason for the birth defect, so they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their homes.

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. They are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or birth Defect lawsuits can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects and health issues. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.