Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can have a devastating effect on your family as well as you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly increase.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawsuit defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a 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 who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can help determine whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor could also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or are unable to respond in a timely manner. This can lead to various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and hypoxic encephalopathy such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered by something occurring during labor, pregnancy or birth. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of these could result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the best option for birth defect Attorneys you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and the factors that influence the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur as a result of medication. A number of common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked with an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's responsibility is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, they may be held liable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for failing to adequately warn mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

An attorney who specializes in birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, income loss and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities because from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the cause of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens, because they can interfere with the normal development of a fetus through chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning of metals and paint production.

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

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family believes the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment they could develop serious birth defects. These substances are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water and some are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium in coal that is contaminated can cause various birth defect lawsuit defects, as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers can increase the chance of birth defects 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 suffering from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.