An Intermediate Guide For Birth Defect Litigation

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. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation to cover the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held liable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be accountable for a birth injury when they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, swelling of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth defect lawsuits injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medications. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, Birth Defect Lawyers as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the development of a healthy the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of settings, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.