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 have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and it is essential to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and cause an injury or birth defect, they can be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to a range of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defect law firm defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can result in 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 review your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to assist parents in determining the root of a child's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, as well as loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. 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 at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on the healthy growth of the fetus producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes the birth defect of their child may be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

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

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.