Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can have a devastating effect on your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuit defects lawsuits can assist you in determining the cause of your child's illness. caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injuries can include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes their child's birth defect may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact a DC birth defect lawsuit injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like 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 as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defect law firms (http://cucq.co.uk/node/160919) defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.