Why You Should Concentrate On Improving 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 effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. 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. These injuries can be caused by conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the reason behind the birth defect law firms injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the root of the birth defect, so they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, birth Defect Attorney or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.