A Trip Back In Time How People Talked About Birth Defect Litigation 20 Years Ago

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a huge impact on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects can help you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are a bit nebulous, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer with experience in lawsuits involving birth defects will help you determine if your child's health condition may be the result of a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or don't respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the root of an infant's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of the genetics of the mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of limb and brain deformities, heart defects, and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medicines for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for future and current medical expenses resulting from the injury or disability, and also loss of earnings and the quality of life. This could include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can sue parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result of the negligence of businesses exposing pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens because they affect the healthy development a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals are known to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed during their time in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to ensure that companies are held accountable for exposing families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these 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 are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family believes that their child's birth defect may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should speak with a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

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

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause various birth defects and other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers that are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a range of birth defects caused by wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or at home. These lawsuits typically involve sophisticated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.