Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy 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, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused due to medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects 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 the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes that the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defect lawsuits defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.