The Intermediate Guide The Steps To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen as a result of medication. Many common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for the future and present medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defect lawyers defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for exposing the 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 exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be due to 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 inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, could cause birth defect law firm defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.