Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be due to a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This could include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defect law firms deformities. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function, or can cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of settings including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant 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 defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth 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 also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

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