20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you file for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow 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 medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include doctor's, birth Defect Attorney hospital or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit 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. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and a few can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.