Three Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating impact on you and Birth Defect Lawsuit your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing an appeal to receive compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, which is why you should seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could be liable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (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. These injuries can be caused by ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of the birth injury or defect. Many chattanooga birth defect lawyer defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a profound effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of deformities in the limbs and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work 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 called Teratogens since they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be used in a variety of environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defect lawsuit defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume 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 can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers also increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defect law firm defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits typically require an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.