Birth Defect Litigation Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you claim reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so 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 infants. Doctors can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition may be the result of a medical error during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, birth Defect lawsuit or labor. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation to look over 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 determine the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most frequently used. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect attorneys defect lawyer can assist families get compensation for the future and present medical expenses associated with the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the root of the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth Defect lawsuit defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects, as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects as well.

LK's experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from various birth defects as a result of accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.