20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

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 as well as you. Medical bills, birth defect lawyer therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and result in a birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the root of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine what caused the birth defect in order to sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. 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 to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.