Tips For Explaining Birth Defect Litigation To Your Mom

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and result in birth defects or injuries, they can be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something that happens during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth defect lawsuits process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the reason behind the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with 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.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor'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 the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defect attorney defects (sneak a peek at this site). Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.