Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.
A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for
birth defect lawsuits defects can be complex, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.
The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth defect law Firms (
www.alonegocio.net.br) process as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.
Prescription Drugs
A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. A variety of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.
It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.
An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine what caused the birth defect, so they can sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they work or in their homes.
Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in a variety of locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.
Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.
Environmental Exposure
Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC
birth defect attorneys injury lawyer to discuss their case.
If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.
For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.
LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from many birth defects due to an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.