Don t Make This Mistake With Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can cause a lot of grief for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for birth defect Lawyer your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult with a legal professional as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held responsible for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect law firms defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the reason for the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses associated with the disability or injury, as well as loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify what caused the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus through creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are present in a variety environments, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene (trichloroethylene), trichloroethylene ( dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers 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 secured substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the 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, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among 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 who suffered from a variety of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.