Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for the entire family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. When a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held liable for the harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can help determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth, Birth Defect Attorneys and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of living. This can include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to 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 which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in various settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. 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 hold companies accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with serious defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.