How To Get More Results From Your Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect, it can have a devastating effect on the entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville lawyer with a specialization in birth defects may be able to help you claim compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects are complex and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice 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 is experienced in birth defect lawsuits (web011.dmonster.kr) can help you determine whether your child's health condition may be due to an error in medical care during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause a number of serious issues, 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, birth, or labor. The causes of injuries include issues like Erb's syndrome that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during the birth process as well as caput succedaneum which is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able help parents determine the root of the birth defect lawsuit injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genetics or factors during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and many more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb deformities and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

A doctor's job is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers of the dangers that come with their drugs. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

An attorney for birth defects can assist families in getting compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities as a result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to identify the cause of the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens during the time they work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects are the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. They are referred to as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function, or can cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals can be found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects in the heart in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child may be a result of medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the term used to describe these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water Some of them can be harmful when they come into contact with pregnant women.

For example, arsenic in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, used in the manufacture of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects too.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.