Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause an injury or birth defect the doctor could be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on 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 drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.