Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide On Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing claim for reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup however, injuries are caused 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 baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. 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 lawyer might be able help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

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

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens when they work or in their homes.

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

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons with aliphatic properties, like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

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

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.