Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for round lake birth defect attorney defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor fall below 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 expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A machesney park birth defect attorney defect lawyer could sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect so that they can sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe lafayette Birth defect law firm defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to 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 experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from many birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.