Why No One Cares 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 be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for 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 error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is 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 can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead 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 development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, Birth Defect Attorneys they should contact a DC birth defect lawsuits injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.