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 entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help you seek reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not properly warning mothers about the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out the cause of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects and other health problems. 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 chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.