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Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet 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 dangers of their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from 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 find out the cause of the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child 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 the issue.

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

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.