20 Trailblazers Setting The Standard In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or do not respond appropriately. This can lead to a range of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or the birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the root of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney (pandahouse.lolipop.jp) can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

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

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in the exposure of 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 defects because of the toxic chemical exposures 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 suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase the chance of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.