The Intermediate Guide The Steps To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect, it can cause a lot of grief for birth defect lawsuits your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complex, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's illness could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or delivery. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive reimbursement for future and ongoing medical expenses related to the disability or injury in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to find out the reason for the birth defect lawsuit defect, so they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with 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 a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes the birth defect in their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment they could develop serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at their workplace or home. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.