Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits (Http://jejucordelia.com/eng/bbs/board.php?bo_table=review_E&wr_id=212568) can help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could be liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, Birth defect Lawsuits injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or birth. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may 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 factors during the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect law firm defect lawyer can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won 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

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also 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 among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from many birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.