Don t Make This Silly Mistake When It Comes To Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it can be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or properly respond to fetal distress. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, birth defect attorneys resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation 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 help parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or birth defect attorneys defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are present in a variety situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.