10 Facts About Birth Defect Litigation That Will Instantly Set You In A Positive Mood

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for Vimeo pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine what caused the birth defect so that they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their 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 influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family believes the birth defect of their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause various forest grove birth defect lawsuit defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, Vimeo employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.