14 Clever Ways To Spend Left-Over Birth Defect Litigation Budget

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth defect law firms injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injuries can include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth defect attorneys as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the cause for a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen due to medications. Many common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and birth defect attorneys chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, birth defect attorneys and other costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the development of a healthy embryo through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are also caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers also increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.