Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills 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 taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and 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 and injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defect lawyers defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, such as 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 obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.