Birth Defect Litigation: A Simple Definition

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it can be devastating for your family as well as you. Therapy costs, medical bills and Birth defect Lawyers other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

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 defect lawsuit defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the cause of the birth defect in order to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe defects because 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 believes the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser), birth defect Lawyers toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.