10 Things We All Do Not Like About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor can be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review 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 determine the reason for a child's birth injury, Birth Defect Lawyer or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and birth defect lawyer brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their medicines. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers 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 exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.