Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complex, so you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be the result of a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This could lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been proven 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 medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately inform mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families get reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover the cause of the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth Defect lawsuit defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from various birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.