Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it could be devastating for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits (whybeoptic.com) can help you determine whether your child's condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect lawsuit defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. 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 in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial 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 are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.