The Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a Birth defect lawsuit deformity this can be devastating for your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, Birth defect lawsuit medical bills and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. 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 adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the cause for an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a 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 brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the cause of the birth defect to sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or in their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water Some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.