Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with a birth deformity it could have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.
A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine whether your child’s condition was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as 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 pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb’s Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.
Prescription Drugs
A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the mother’s pregnancy but they can also happen because of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.
A doctor’s duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.
A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor’s prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify what caused the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their home.
Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.
Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the paradise birth defect lawyer defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Certain newman birth defect Lawyer defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the beachwood birth defect attorney defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.
Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.
Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are also related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.
The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.
