Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medications. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out the reason for the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between 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 chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are known as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and a few can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.