5 Laws That Will Help To Improve The Birth Defect Litigation Industry

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defect or injury the doctor could be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can cause a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can result from ailments like Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or Birth defect Attorney damaged during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are malformed. These chemicals can be found in many different locations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and 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 in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers who live at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. 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 chemical or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects as well.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.