Why We Enjoy Birth Defect Litigation And You Should Also

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help you seek reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

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

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, Birth Defects and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to examine your case and birth defects determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant 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 and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, 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 by or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

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

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.