Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. 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 babies. Doctors can be held liable for 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 illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy 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 and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to review your case, and decide on the best 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 genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defect law firms defects. They are 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 at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown 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 firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect law firms defect of their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of developing birth defects as well.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from various birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, birth defect lawsuits and embryologists.