15 Up-And-Coming Birth Defect Litigation Bloggers You Need To Watch

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in an injury or birth defect or injury, they could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy, or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital fees as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their 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 development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known 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 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 gotten 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 can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.