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

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible 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 encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens because they affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.