Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for Birth Defects your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defect attorney defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to diagnose or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injuries can result from ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over 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 cause for an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur as a result of medication. Many common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures 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 development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawsuits defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.