10 Basics About Birth Defect Litigation You Didn t Learn At School

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects may be able to help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth Defect lawsuit defects could be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, Birth Defect Lawsuit NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations which expose pregnant women and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the root of the birth defect to sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to their impact on the development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or lead to malformed organs. These chemicals are found in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.