Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.
A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors 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 help determine if your child’s condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.
Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injury can include Erb’s Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby’s arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum — an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.
Prescription Drugs
A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for the child’s birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.
It is a doctor’s professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.
A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor’s pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.
Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.
Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.
If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defect law firm defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.
Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects.
LK’s highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.