10 Things We All Hate About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can be devastating for you and your entire family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help you file for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. When a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail in diagnosing or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused due to something happening during pregnancy, labor, or birth. These injuries can be caused by issues like Erb's syndrome, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant 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 continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of the mother's pregnancy, they can also occur as a result of medication. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into account these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses physician's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals can be found in a variety of settings including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or 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 hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water as well as cadmium derived from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects (click this), as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defect lawsuits defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a range of birth defects caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.