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 could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and result in birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable 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 could have been caused by an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your situation and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of the child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from birth defects or genetics. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased chance of limb deformities, heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

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 requirements of this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly inform mothers of the risks of their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses in addition to 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 who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute 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 producing chemical changes that block normal cell function or lead to organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in the exposure of 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 birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects the Birth Defect Lawsuit defects of a child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

The experienced attorneys at LK's firm for birth defects have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from various birth defects as a result of the wrongful exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.