"The Birth Defect Litigation Awards: The Top Worst Or The Most Bizarre Things We ve Seen

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. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you seek reimbursement for the expenses of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defects are complex, so it is important to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor could be held responsible for damages when their actions cause 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 mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

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, such as cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up however, injuries are caused by something occurring during labor, pregnancy, or birth. Injuries can result from conditions such as Erb's palsy which is caused when the nerves which energize and control the infant's arms are stretched or torn during the birth process and caput succedaneum, an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of them can cause permanent disability, and continued treatment can cost a significant amount of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can provide a free initial consultation to look over your situation and determine the best course of action for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. While many birth defects are caused by genetics and other factors that occur during a mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused because of medications. Certain common medications have a significant impact on fetuses and babies, particularly during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy medications are among the most common. These medications have been linked to an increase in risk of deformities in the limbs and heart defects, brain defects and craniosynostosis.

It is the duty of a doctor to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the requirements of this standard of care, they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the dangers associated with their medications. For example, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been proven to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A birth defect lawyer can help families get compensation for Birth defect lawsuits current and future medical expenses resulting from the disability or injury in addition to loss of earnings and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses, doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to discover the reason for the birth defect in order to bring a lawsuit against companies who expose mothers to teratogens during the time they are working or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. They are referred to as teratogens due to their impact on 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 various settings, including semiconductor manufacturing, metal cleaning and paint production.

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

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defect lawyers defects could be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child may be due to medical negligence or prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals and/or environmental factors, they should talk to an DC birth injury attorney to discuss their case.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens is the name given to these chemicals. More than 4 million chemicals exist in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in contaminated coal for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and toluene (a metal degreaser) are also linked to certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects too.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits involve complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses like toxicologists and epidemiologists.