Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child is born with a birth deformity, it can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly increase.
A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.
The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.
Prescription Drugs
An attorney for birth defects may be able help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.
A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.
A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer can sue families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth 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 either at workplace or at home.
Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include 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 growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.
Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.
Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious
birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.
For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects and health issues. Certain birth defects are also related to industrial solvents, such as 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 chance of having birth defects.
LK's highly experienced
birth defect lawyers [
click to read] have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.