Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.
A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.
A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.
The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.
Prescription Drugs
An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.
A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their products. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.
An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for the 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 can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in many different environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.
Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.
Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious
birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.
For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.
LK's highly experienced
birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.