15 Terms That Everyone In The Birth Defect Litigation Industry Should Know

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can include issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to examine 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 cause for the birth defect law firm injury of a child. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur because of medications. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out what caused the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens when they work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are present in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and a few can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.