Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you file for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defect lawyers defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur because of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with 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 what caused the Birth defect, Moneyasia2024visitorview.Coconnex.com, in order to sue companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they are working 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 a healthy embryo through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be present in a variety settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defect lawsuit defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.