20 Fun Facts About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly become a burden.

A Hyattsville lawyer who is specialized in birth defects could assist you claim compensation for the cost of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals are required to adhere to a set of standards when treating pregnant women or their babies. Doctors can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's condition could be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or respond adequately to distress in the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup and injuries are triggered due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or birth. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, an inflammation of the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a free consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the root of a child's birth defect lawsuits defect. Many birth defects result from the genetics of the baby or other factors during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defect lawyers defects. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been linked to a higher risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to take into account the risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran, which is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who have congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses which expose pregnant women and medications that cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of birth defects, so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens since they interfere with the normal development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that lead to abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits to ensure that companies are held accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other pollutants in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals may be dangerous to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects and other health problems. Industrial solvents such as benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used for the manufacture of semiconductors display devices, 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 caused by improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at work or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.