A Trip Back In Time How People Talked About Birth Defect Litigation 20 Years Ago

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a lot of grief for the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error birth defect lawyer during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect to file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. 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 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 because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with a 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. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present 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 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, employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects as well.

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