12 Companies Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail to recognize or properly respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by something occurring during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. Injuries can result from issues like Erb's syndrome which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size 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 provide a free consultation to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may help parents determine the reason behind the birth injury of a child. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medicines. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. 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 a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten 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

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.