Why Nobody Cares About Birth Defect Litigation
Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child is born with a birth defect it could cause a lot of grief for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly increase.
A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your disabled children. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer whenever you can.
Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals are required to adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for the damage suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer who has experience in lawsuits involving birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's illness could have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.
A doctor can be held accountable for birth defect law firm injuries if they fail diagnose fetal distress or do not respond appropriately. This can cause numerous serious issues, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.
The distinction between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are a part of a person's genetic makeup, while injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can include ailments like Erb's palsy, which occurs when the nerves that power and control the arms of an infant are stretched or torn during birth, and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and ongoing treatment will cost a great deal of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can offer a free consultation in order to analyze your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby.
Prescription Drugs
An attorney for birth defects may be able to assist parents in determining the cause for a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the pregnancy of a mother but they can also happen because of medications. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on foetuses. This is particularly true in the first three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most popular. These drugs have been linked to a higher chance of limb deformities, brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.
A doctor's job is to be aware of these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care, then they may be held liable for negligence. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers of the risks of their medication. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of congenital defects that are major in first trimester pregnancies.
An attorney for birth defects can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include doctor's, hospital prescription, pharmaceutical, and other expenses, as well assistive devices and treatments.
Chemical Exposure
A birth defect lawyer may bring an action on behalf of the families of children suffering from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home.
Some of the chemical exposures that can lead to birth defects include the fungicides, metals, herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens since they affect the healthy development a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.
Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause cardiac birth defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed while they were in the womb.
Parents have filed lawsuits against various companies that were involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have gotten significant settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with severe birth defects because of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.
Environmental Exposure
Some birth defects can be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions or Birth defects chemicals. If a family suspects that a child's birth defects may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals or chemical substances, they should speak with a DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.
Chemicals and other substances in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or taken in by pregnant women. These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals can be harmful to pregnant women.
For instance, arsenic from drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause numerous birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, toluene, and benzene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol-ethers also increase the risk of birth defects in women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.
The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a range of birth defects due to wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at work or in their homes. These lawsuits typically involve complicated scientific analysis and experts, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists embryologists and occupational medicine experts.