20 Trailblazers Setting The Standard In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect lawsuit defect or injury, they could be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's health condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, birth defect attorney or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is an inflammation of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for birth defect attorney malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal, for example, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase the chances of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.