20 Fun Informational Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and result in birth defect or injury, they can be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's illness could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. 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 attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for a child's birth defect lawsuit injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for birth defect attorneys medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and birth defect attorneys environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence, 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 consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.