20 Tools That Will Make You More Efficient At 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 your family and you. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and cause birth defects or injuries or injury, they could be held accountable for injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be held liable for birth injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This could lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like 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, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - a swelling on the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able help parents determine the cause for a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain common medications have a profound effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked with an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for the birth defect, so they can file a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects are metals, fungicides, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as 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 are used in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with severe defects due to the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger various birth defects as well as other health problems. Certain birth defects are associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers, which are used in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are recognized to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.