Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you file for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur as a result of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defect lawsuit defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.