12 Companies That Are Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in birth defect or injury, they can be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can result from ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, birth defect lawsuits a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of a 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 can also be caused because of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the reason for the birth defect to sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they are working or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or cause malformed organs. These chemicals are present in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact a 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. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and birth defect lawsuits trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from many birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.