A Trip Back In Time: What People Discussed About Birth Defect Litigation 20 Years Ago

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for lawsuits damages if their actions result in birth defect lawsuits defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to an increase in chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the reason for the birth defect in order to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. 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 an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.