Washington DC Birth Defect Lawyer

Pregnancy should be an exciting time in your life - you expect that your baby will be happy, healthy, and a joyful addition to your family.

Unfortunately, things can go wrong during labor. Doctors can make mistakes at the time of delivery that negatively affect your child - and your family. When this happens, you can be on the line for enormous amounts of medical bills, caretaking costs, treatments, and therapies. Depending on the severity of the birth injury, you could lose your job - or have to quit - in order to care for your child.

That is where a DC birth defect attorney comes in. A lawyer may be able to help you with the following types of injuries:

• Cerebral Palsy. This is actually a group of different conditions that affect the brain and nervous systems. This type of palsy can include varieties such as spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, hypotonic, and mixed. Delivery trauma to the brain can result in Cerebral Palsy, and your baby may have trouble with movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking as he or she grows up.
• Erb's Palsy. This is a type of arm paralysis that can occur during delivery. It occurs when specific nerves of the upper arm are damaged. While it is possible to reverse certain types of Erb's Palsy, oftentimes it requires extensive rehabilitative therapy, or several surgeries. Certain cases are ineligible for treatment, and the victims are left handicapped for life.
• Facial paralysis. Mistakes during delivery can also result in a child's lifelong facial paralysis. This can affect the way the child eats, drinks, and even speaks. He or she may not be able to smile because they do not have the appropriate muscle control, or suffered nerve damage at birth. Plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists, ophthalmologists, and speech pathologists may all be necessary to help correct the problem.
• Other birth injuries and conditions. Each case is different, so until you speak to a DC birth defect lawyer, you won't know if you have a case or not. Many offer free consultations, so it costs nothing for you to determine whether or not you want to pursue your case. It is often worth it to discuss the details with someone who understands what you are going through, and how they can help you.