7 Simple Tips For Rolling With Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can cause a lot of grief for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and Birth defect attorneys the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer 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 identify the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various 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 won significant settlements for families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from their environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.