Why People Don t Care About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for birth defect attorneys harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to various serious problems, 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, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses related to the disability or injury, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could 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.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chances of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.