7 Simple Tricks To Making A Statement With Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and birth defect attorneys their babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) 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 make-up, while injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial 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

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated, for example, can cause 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 can increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.