Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and result in birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and richmond birth defect attorney cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and richmond birth defect attorney quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so 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 can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the growth of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in many different locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defect lawsuit defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.