Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it could have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so 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 babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of birth injuries if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. 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 medications. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the reason for the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause Birth Defect Law Firms defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of 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 birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes that the birth defect in their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (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 to make semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from various birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.