Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you file for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth defect law firm injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the reason behind the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and Birth Defect Lawyers craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

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

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.