Be On The Lookout For: How Birth Defect Litigation Is Taking Over And How To Stop It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can help determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over 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 root of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur due to medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, birth Defect lawyers loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine what caused the birth defect to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for exposing the 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 serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced Birth Defect Lawyers - Classinfoms.Com.Br - have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.