20 Trailblazers Setting The Standard In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can be devastating for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the root cause of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. For instance, 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 a pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or Birth defect attorneys at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes their child's birth defect may result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase the chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.