12 Companies Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in an injury or birth defect attorney defect the doctor could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could have been caused by an error Birth defect lawyers made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

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

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of birth defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their 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, because they can affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, Birth defect Lawyers such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.