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Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

birth defect law firm elgin with a specialization in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs





A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes the birth defect of their child may result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.