Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's bladensburg birth defect law firm injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing 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 congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

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

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from 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), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, Vimeo semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.