Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects may be able to help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for a birth injury when they fail to identify or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital fees physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and Birth Defect other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.