From The Web 20 Amazing Infographics About 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. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defect attorney defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth defect lawsuit and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant 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 determine the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many Birth Defect Lawsuit defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the injury or disability, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital fees as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out the root of the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in diverse settings like semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers 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 secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect in their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

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