Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity, it can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and Vimeo other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional 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 the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be used in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose 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 inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, Vimeo and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed 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 in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.