Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for the costs 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 follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child’s condition may have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person’s genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. The most common injuries are Erb’s Palsy where the nerves that control the infant’s arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It’s an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of a child’s birth defect lawsuit defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor’s duty is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, birth Defect Attorney income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician’s fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of 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 the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chances of having birth defects as well.

LK’s highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.