The 3 Greatest Moments In Birth Defect Litigation History

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. If the actions of a doctor do not meet the standards and result in birth defect or injury the doctor could be held liable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by the medical professional during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and fail to respond appropriately. This can result in numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and birth defect lawsuit factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and brain deformities, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's duty is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks of their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of 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 identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can influence the healthy development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defect lawsuit (redirected here) defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe 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 conditions. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically require complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.