Why You Should Focus On Improving Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing claim for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defect attorneys defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, Birth Defect Lawyer pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.