20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth defect attorney it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by a doctor birth defect lawyer during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the disability or injury in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they are working or birth defect lawyer in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.