15 Terms That Everyone Working In The Birth Defect Litigation Industry Should Know

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

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can assist you in filing a claim to recover compensation for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, so you should seek legal advice immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defects lawsuits can help determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress in the fetus. This can cause many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by events during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy, where the nerves controlling the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is the caput succedaneum, Birth Defects an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer can offer a no-cost initial consultation to look over your situation and birth defects 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 factors during a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur as a result of medication. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines and NSAIDs as well as chemotherapy medications including certain antibiotics, and more. These drugs have been linked to an increased risk of limb defects and heart defects, brain defects 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 adhere to the standards of care required, they could be held liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been shown to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and the quality of life. This can include hospital, doctor's or pharmaceutical expenses, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can file an action on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to determine the cause of birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or at home.

Some of the chemical exposures that contribute to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called Teratogens since they interfere with the healthy development of the fetus creating chemical changes that hinder normal cell function or create organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals are found in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include aliphatic cyaninated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and 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 suit against a number of firms that were responsible for exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

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

If pregnant women ingest or absorb pollutants from the environment and then develop birth Defects (easy.Ksubest.com). These chemicals are referred to as teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are present in our air, food and water Some of them are harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic found in drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, can 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 defect law firm defects. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chances of having birth defects.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children suffering from a range of birth defects resulting from wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve sophisticated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts and embryologists.