Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects may be able to help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or properly respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for firms you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a profound effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for current and future medical expenses related to the disability or injury, in addition to loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to identify what caused the birth defect, so they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the risk of developing anamosa birth defect attorney defects as well.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.