20 Trailblazers Leading The Way In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity this can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medications. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

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

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys (Godohosting noted) have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.