Why No One Cares About Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth defect it can be devastating for your family and you. Medical bills, therapy costs and other losses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could assist you in filing an action to collect reimbursement for the costs of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, so you should consult with a legal professional immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can result in a variety of serious complications, including hypoxic ischemic disorder (HIE) and cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's arms and legs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents identify the root of a child's birth injury or defect. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur because of medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially true in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy medicines such as certain antibiotics and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider these risks when prescribing medications for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they could be held accountable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers about the risks associated with their products. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect attorney can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical expenses, as well aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to find out what caused the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies that expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens, because they can affect the development of a healthy fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in many different settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of companies involved in the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by the combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or chemical. If a family suspects the birth defects of a child could be the result of medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are inhaled or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are called Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.

For instance, arsenic in drinking water, and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) and toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are known to increase the chances of having birth defects.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a myriad of birth defects resulting from improper exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.