Why You Should Focus On Enhancing Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can be devastating for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and other factors that occur during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen due to medications. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to be aware of the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are present in a variety situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while 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 secured substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.