10 Things We All Love 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. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for Birth defect attorneys birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for future and current medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, and also loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defect law firm defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.