"The Birth Defect Litigation Awards: The Best Worst And The Most Bizarre Things We ve Seen

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, firms which is why you should seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and cause birth defect or injury, they can be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's illness could be due to a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or respond adequately to fetal distress. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the cause for a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. A variety of common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held responsible for not properly inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out the cause of the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they affect the development of a healthy foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were 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 defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are called teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water and firms some can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause various birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.