Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can be devastating for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to follow a standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in a birth defect or injury the doctor could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause various 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 circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, birth defect lawsuits North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects too.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.