You Can Explain Birth Defect Litigation To Your Mom

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could be devastating for you and your family. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file claim for compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to an appropriate standard of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can help determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and brain injuries, such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include ailments like Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves that stimulate and control an infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

An attorney for birth defects may be able to help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother, they can also occur because of medications. Certain common medications have a significant effect on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers that come with their products. Zofran is a drug used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects during the first trimester pregnancies.

An attorney for birth defects can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This can include hospital, doctor's prescription, pharmaceutical, and other costs, in addition to aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could sue families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the reason for the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens because they affect the growth of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create organs that are malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of environments, including processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies that were involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking waters or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays are known to increase the risk of developing birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a variety of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.