10 Basics About Birth Defect Litigation You Didn t Learn At School

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity, it can cause a lot of grief for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you seek reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and it is essential to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to recognize or respond adequately to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or the birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney - https://czardonations.com/uncategorized/Why-no-one-cares-about-birth-Defect-litigation/ - may help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused due to medications. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. 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 first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are present in a variety situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant 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

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects as well as other health problems. 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 risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.