10 Things We Are Hateful About Birth Defect Litigation

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. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held responsible for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive 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 businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were 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 exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect law firm defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawsuit defect lawyers have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.