The Ultimate Glossary Of Terms About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as 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, while injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, Birth Defect Attorneys labor, or birth. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome that occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the reason behind the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect to sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defect lawsuit defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced Birth Defect Attorneys (Mspeech.Kr) have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.