Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause birth defect or injury, they can be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to recognize or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or birth. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect law firm defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. Many common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.