20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an inflammation of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include doctor's, hospital pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during 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 the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment they could develop serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause various birth defect lawsuit defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a wide range of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.