"The Birth Defect Litigation Awards: The Most Sexiest, Worst, And Strangest Things We've Ever Seen

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth deformity, it can have a devastating effect on your family and you. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an appeal to receive compensation for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions are in violation of this standard and result in birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held accountable for harms suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition may have been caused by an error made by a doctor during the pregnancy or delivery.

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

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are caused by something that happens during labor, pregnancy or birth. The most common injuries are Erb's Palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's a swelling on the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to review your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in the first trimester of pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital, doctor's pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defect law firm defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to 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 many different settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against various firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family suspects the birth defects of a baby could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase the 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 improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.