20 Trailblazers Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could be devastating for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor could be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and don't respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy, or birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, 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 meet the standards of care required, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for future and current medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, and also loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their homes.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be present in a variety locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of birth defects too.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.