The Ultimate Glossary Of Terms About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you claim compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury, they can be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, firms birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance 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 lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.