15 Terms That Everyone Within The Birth Defect Litigation Industry Should Know

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth, it can cause a huge impact on you and your family. Therapy costs, birth defect lawyers medical bills and other expenses can quickly mount up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could help to file a claim for compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause an injury or birth defect and/or death, they may be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor can also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to recognize fetal distress and are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth defect lawyers birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or the birth. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - an inflammation of the scalp. Both can lead to a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents identify the root of the child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are due to the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on the fetuses. This is especially relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most popular. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for current and future medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from 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 identify the root of the birth defect, so they can sue companies that expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defect lawsuit defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the chance of having birth defects too.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.