Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses 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. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defect attorney defects, so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.