Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you seek compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, birth defect lawsuits heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, birth defect lawsuits loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defect lawsuit defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.