The Birth Defect Litigation Case Study You ll Never Forget

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. 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 damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be due to a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best way to proceed 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 injury. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of 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 secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or birth defect Attorney exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.