Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defect law firm defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A number of common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

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, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the cause of the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from many birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and birth defect epidemiologists.