Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like 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 that happens during pregnancy, labor, or birth. 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 form of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the root of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out the root of the birth defect, so they can sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and vimeo metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause bend birth defect attorney defects as well as 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 are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of fostoria birth defect law firm defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.