An Intermediate Guide Towards Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could have a devastating effect on your family and you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can include conditions such as Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and many more. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. 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 the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify what caused the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they affect the development of a healthy foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used 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 trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.