15 Undeniable Reasons To Love Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

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 cause an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's condition could be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and are unable to respond in a timely manner. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be found in many different environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial 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 may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are known as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.