Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or birth. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, birth defect lawsuit cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause colorado springs birth defect lawyer defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

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

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defect Lawsuit defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.