Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child is born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.
A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child’s condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor may also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth defect law firms if they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.
The difference 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 pregnancy, labor, or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb’s Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the baby’s arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum — an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.
Prescription Drugs
An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of a child’s birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.
It is a doctor’s professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks of their medication. 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 pregnancy.
An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include doctor’s, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.
Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are used in many different 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), trichloroethylene ( 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 in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects a child’s birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.
Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.
For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.
LK’s experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.