15 Up-And-Coming Birth Defect Litigation Bloggers You Need To Check Out

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious issues, birth defect attorneys such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and birth defect attorneys brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their products. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be 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 semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's risk of developing 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 the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.