Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy 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 can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to 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 resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the root of the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact a DC Pinellas Park Birth defect Attorney injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause decatur birth defect lawyer defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and 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 display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.