Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide On Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the root of the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defect birth defects have filed many lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.