20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it could have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine whether your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and other factors that occur during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of the families of children suffering 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 identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time 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 these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth defect law firms injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants 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 food, air and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and birth defects video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.