Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you seek compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including 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 part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or birth defect attorney birth. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers of the risks of their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or birth defect attorney chemical. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.