Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and cause an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or the birth. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

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

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 affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defect lawsuit defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from various birth defects as a result of accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.