Pay Attention: Watch Out For How Birth Defect Litigation Is Taking Over And What To Do About It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the cost of taking care of your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries and/or death, they may be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can 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 could be liable for Birth Defect Attorneys an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to fetal distress. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or the birth. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control an infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, a swelling of the scalp. Both of these could lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Many common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to consider these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers about the risks associated with their products. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, in addition to loss of income and birth Defect Attorneys quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out the reason for the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against the companies who expose mothers to teratogens as they are at work or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defect law firms defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment and then develop birth defects. These substances are referred to as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

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

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