15 Terms Everyone In The Birth Defect Litigation Industry Should Know

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held liable for Birth Defect Attorneys birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for birth Defect Attorneys pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers about the risks associated with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for current and future medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive 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 companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the root of the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their homes.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.