Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defect lawsuits defects can offer a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. A variety of commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in 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, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with 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 find out the root of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.