This Most Common Birth Defect Litigation Debate Isn't As Black And White As You Might Think

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you file for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can help you determine if your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to identify or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that 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 type of injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost lots of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to analyze your situation and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the root cause of an infant's birth injury. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines, certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the professional responsibility of doctors to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be held accountable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers of their medication. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of the birth defect in order to file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects include metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a the fetus via chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or prevent normal cell function. These chemicals can be found in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water Some of them can be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects due to improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.