12 Companies Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could cause a lot of grief for your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth defect lawsuit.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, birth defect lawsuit NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens when they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment and then develop birth defect law firms defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.