10 Facts About Birth Defect Litigation That Will Instantly Put You In A Good Mood

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, birth defect lawsuits therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause a birth defect or injury, they can be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be liable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. While many birth defect lawsuits defects are caused by 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 profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify what caused the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were 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 chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect law firm defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.