This Is The Intermediate Guide To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth this can be devastating for you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other expenses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult with a legal professional whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor can be held accountable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be accountable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to diagnose or appropriately respond to fetal distress. This could lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best way to proceed for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able help parents determine the cause for a child's birth injury. Many birth defects result from genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. 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 the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses related to the disability or injury in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, in addition to assistive devices, and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect, so they can sue companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they work or at their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a the fetus via chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are present in a variety of settings including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families that had children born with serious defects as a result of the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by an unintended medical error and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defect law firm defects of a serious nature when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from 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 trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the chance of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a myriad of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complex scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.