The Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History
Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.
A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel immediately.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.
The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.
Prescription Drugs
A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.
A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.
An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.
Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus through causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.
Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were 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 these birth defect law firms defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defect in their child could result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.
Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.
Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.
LK's experienced birth defect attorneys (users.atw.hu) have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.