Birth Defect Litigation: A Simple Definition

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity it could be devastating for you and your entire family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the cost of taking care of your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defect or injury the doctor 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 condition may be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of birth injuries if they fail to identify or adequately respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, Vimeo delivery or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which develops when the nerves which energize and control an infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur because of medications. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for future and current medical expenses associated with the disability or injury, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the Port Townsend Birth Defect Attorney defect in order to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens because they affect the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or lead to organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of locations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families that had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment and then develop birth defects. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous hollywood birth defect law firm defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced lawyers at LK for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.