10 Facts About Birth Defect Litigation That Will Instantly Bring You To A Happy Mood

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. The causes of injuries include issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects 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 could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects, so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

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

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defect lawsuits defects. Glycol ethers, Birth Defect Attorneys utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

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