Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and result in a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the root of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or birth defect lawyer exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.