Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and cause birth defect or injury, they can be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can result in many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the cause of the 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 have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses associated with the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result 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 is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of the wrongful 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.