20 Trailblazers Setting The Standard In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects can help you file for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause an injury or birth defect, they can be held responsible for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail to detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, birth defect lawyers NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's responsibility is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be present in a variety situations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals could be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. 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, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects too.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defect law firm defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.