The Birth Defect Litigation Case Study You ll Never Forget

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could be devastating for you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects may be able to help to file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to identify or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and the factors that influence a mother's pregnancy but they can also happen as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines as well as certain antibiotics, and more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is a doctor's professional duty to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not adequately inform mothers of the risks associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, income loss and quality of life. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering 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 find out the cause of the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against the companies that expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their homes.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. They are referred to as Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus by causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals are found in many different environments, including the manufacturing of semiconductors and cleaning of metals.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, can cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents, such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or at home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.