The Evolution Of Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can be devastating for the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect, they can be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for Margate birth defect Lawyer a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause of the child's waldwick birth defect attorney injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. A variety of commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be used in a variety of environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of Tavares Birth Defect Lawyer defects, Heber Springs Birth Defect Lawyer as well as 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 manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

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