Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication 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 of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the reason for the birth defect (learn the facts here now) in order to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, Birth defect and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.