Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly. A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal advice immediately. Medical Malpractice Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth. A doctor could be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy. Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can include conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby. Prescription Drugs A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen due to medications. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois. The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet 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 medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy. An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies. Chemical Exposure A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home. Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production. Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb. Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base. Environmental Exposure Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case. 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. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women. For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays. LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.