10 Meetups About Birth Defect Litigation You Should Attend

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 quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist you seek reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or birth. The causes of injuries include issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth and the caput succedaneum is 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 birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defect lawsuit defects. They are trained to identify the root of the birth defect in order to sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the healthy development a embryo through chemical changes that lead to 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 include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys (click web page) have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.