Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide In Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could help you seek compensation to cover the costs of taking care of your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor could be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits for birth defects can help you determine whether your child's condition could be due to an error made by a doctor during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can also be held responsible for birth injuries if they fail detect fetal distress or fail to respond appropriately. This can lead to numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by an event that occurs during pregnancy, labor, or during delivery. Injuries can result from conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control the arms of a newborn are stretched or torn during birth defect lawsuits and caput succedaneum, Birth defect an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a lifelong disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents in determining the root of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. A number of commonly used medications have a profound effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and many more. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of limb defects and birth defect heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is the duty of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medicines for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers about the risks associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in a variety of environments, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, including cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children 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 believes that their child's birth defect may be a result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women consume or absorb contaminants from their environment and then develop birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our food, air and water and some could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display devices, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a wide range of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.