Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards 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 experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different environments, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of 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 that the birth defect of their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers, more about Stscrap, have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.