Watch Out: How Birth Defect Litigation Is Taking Over And What You Can Do About It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine whether your child's illness could be due to a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail identify fetal distress, or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions such as Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during the birth process and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able help parents determine the root of the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increase in chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens is the name given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water, and some of them could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used in the production of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's highly experienced birth defect lawyers have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts, such as toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.