Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it could have a devastating effect on your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. While many Birth Defect Law Firms defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not properly informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defect law firm defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or Birth Defect Law Firms trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, Birth defect law firms or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.