7 Simple Tips For Making A Statement With Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and birth defect attorneys their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's condition may be the result of an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This could lead to a variety of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is an inflammation 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 will provide a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy, they can also occur due to medications. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their products. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the root of the birth defect to sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they work or at their home.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won 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 could be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defect in their child could result from medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

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

For instance, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects, as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects due to the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits require complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and birth defect attorneys epidemiologists.