10 Essentials Concerning Birth Defect Litigation You Didn t Learn At School

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel 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 when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be due to a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or don't respond appropriately. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, birth defect lawyers DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses associated with the injury or birth defect lawyers disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause malformed organs. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.