12 Companies Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's health condition may have been caused by an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For instance, birth defect lawsuits Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defect lawsuits defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes their child's birth defect lawyers defect may be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects as well.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.