What To Focus On When The Improvement Of Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect lawsuit deformity, it can have a devastating effect on your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for birth defect lawsuits the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the cause of the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen because of medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

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

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or 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 the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect law firm defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family is concerned that the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as 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 as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.