The Ultimate Glossary Of Terms About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects can help you claim compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defect or injury or injury, they could be held liable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held responsible for firms birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and don't respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and 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 an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or during delivery. Injuries can include conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of an infant are stretched or ruptured during birth and the caput succedaneum is a swelling of the scalp. Both can result in lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your case and determine the best course of action for firms you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents identify the root of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are due to genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Many common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their medicines. For instance, 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.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations who expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus through producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error 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 and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the name for these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects and other health problems. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.