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 this can be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defect lawsuit defects may be complex, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or birth. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy, which occurs when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to review your case, and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are due to genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, birth defect lawsuits heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their medicines. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the disability or injury and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to discover what caused the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are just a few of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy growth of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be present in a variety environments, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are dangerous to pregnant women.

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

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.