12 Companies Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and birth defect attorneys the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-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.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defect lawsuit defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.