10 Meetups Around Birth Defect Litigation You Should Attend

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize or adequately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course for you and birth Defect Lawsuits your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects too.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from many birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.