Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to recognize or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or birth defect attorneys genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or birth defect attorneys exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

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

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.