It s Time To Forget Birth Defect Litigation: 10 Reasons Why You Don t Really Need It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused due to medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to be aware of the 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 may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families 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 could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of the birth defect to sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a embryo through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, Birth defect lawsuits including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits 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 gotten significant settlements for families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defect lawsuits defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like 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 manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from various birth defect attorney defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.