10 Things We Hate About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

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

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause a birth defect or injury, they can be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits will help you determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth defect attorney birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and don't respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or the birth. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused due to medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, birth defect attorney and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify what caused the birth defect so that they can sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.