A Brief History Of The Evolution Of Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can result in various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome which develops when the nerves which energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free 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 may be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother however, they can also be caused as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on 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 with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families receive compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens 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 since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are used in various settings, birth defect lawyer including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven 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 in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should contact a DC birth defect law firms injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

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

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.