7 Simple Secrets To Totally Refreshing Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) 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 due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur 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, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies who 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 case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or birth defect lawyers epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.