Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide For Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyers defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the cost of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions are not in line with this standard and result in birth defects or injuries the doctor could be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for birth injuries if they fail in diagnosing or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause a number of serious issues, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. The causes of injuries include conditions like Erb's Palsy which is caused when the nerves that energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or ruptured during birth and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can lead to a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to examine your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to assist parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by birth defects or genetics. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications can have negative effects on foetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been shown to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors do not adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held liable as well for not properly warning mothers about the risks associated with their products. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in first trimester pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defects so that they can file a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that lead to birth defects include herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus through making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as dichloroethane or trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been shown to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them during the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to expose companies to liability for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf of families whose children were born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors or chemicals. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemical such as benzene, they should seek out an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from their environment, they can cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated may cause numerous birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are also associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the chances of having birth defects too.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who have suffered from a variety of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve complex scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.