30 Inspirational Quotes On Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and birth defects result in birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or 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 substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.