Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it could cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you seek compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and kibong.co.kr many more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a 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 taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.