20 Trailblazers 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 could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and birth defect lawsuits determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant 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 can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), birth defect lawsuits toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.