The Ultimate Glossary On Terms About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity this can cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. If the actions of a doctor fall below this standard and cause birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's illness could be the result of an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to a range of serious problems, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, birth, or labor. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is caput succedaneum which is a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can provide a free consultation to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect Lawsuit defect lawyer might help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and many more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not adequately warning mothers of the dangers that come with their products. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses related to the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens as they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by producing chemical changes that block normal cell function, or can cause malformed organs. These chemicals can be found in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals 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 heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements for 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 a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, Birth defect lawsuit or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals may be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water, and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.