It s The Evolution Of Birth Defect Litigation

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 accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of caring for your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

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

A doctor may also be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail to diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can result in a variety of serious problems, including 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 most common injuries are Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another injury is the caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to review your case and determine the best method of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to help parents determine the cause for the birth injury of a child. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is especially applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's duty is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies can also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the dangers associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family in obtaining compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital costs as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs, and other expenses, as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals and medications that cause birth deformities. They are trained to identify what caused the birth defect so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens as they are working or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens due to the fact that they influence the healthy development of a foetus by causing chemical changes that cause abnormal organs or block normal cell function. These chemicals can be used in a variety of locations, such as metal cleaning and semiconductor manufacturing.

Other hazardous chemicals that could cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals are known to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against several companies who were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have obtained substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by an unintended medical error as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family suspects that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause birth defects of a serious nature when they are inhaled or absorbed by pregnant women. These substances are known as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from coal that has been contaminated can trigger numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors as well as silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects caused by unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists and epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.