Birth Defect Litigation: A Simple Definition

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you seek compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth defect law firms injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, birth defect lawyers and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of the birth defect in order to file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of locations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and 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 semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.