20 Myths About Birth Defect Litigation: Busted

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect Law firms deformity, it can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in an injury or birth defect the doctor could be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

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

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or birth defect law firms during delivery. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root cause of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen as a result of medication. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for current and future medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

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 companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene 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 to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as 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 attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.