Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide For Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause a birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in haysville birth defect lawyer defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition may be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well 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 that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for birth exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf 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 a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various bensenville birth defect lawyer defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the risk of birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.