Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist you file for compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, Birth Defects chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the risks associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees, 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 families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of environments, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect attorneys defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.