The Birth Defect Litigation Awards: The Best Worst And The Most Bizarre Things We ve Seen

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for compensation for birth defect lawsuits the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. 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 delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a 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 delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawsuit defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their products. Zofran is a drug 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 help families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect, so they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their home.

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

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. 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 a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. 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 if they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.