What s The Most Common Birth Defect Litigation Debate Isn t As Black And White As You Think

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of birth injuries if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (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. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and Birth defect Lawyers legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These medications have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the reason for the birth defect to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their homes.

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

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defect lawsuits defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

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