20 Truths About Birth Defect Litigation: Busted

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a Birth Defect lawsuit defect this can have a devastating effect on you and your family. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file a claim to recover reimbursement for the costs of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects can be complicated, and you should consult a lawyer as soon as you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in birth defect or injury the doctor could be held accountable for the injuries suffered by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical mistake during the pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor could also be the cause of a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or properly respond to fetal distress. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between birth defects and birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up, while injuries are caused by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy, or during delivery. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy where the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's an increase in the size of the scalp. Both of these could cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to analyze your case and determine the best option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may help parents determine the cause for a child's birth defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. A number of commonly used medications have a significant effect on fetuses, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy drugs are among the most commonly used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostois.

The duty of a doctor is to take into consideration these risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors fail to meet this standard of care they could be held liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies could also be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks that come with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can help family members receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, as well as loss of earnings and the quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital or pharmaceutical costs, as well as aidive devices and treatments.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of parents of children with congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies which expose pregnant women and drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for the birth defects so that they can bring a suit against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and Birth Defect lawsuit herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the development of the fetus by making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or create malformed organs. These chemicals are used in a variety of settings, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defect lawsuits defects due to the exposure to toxic chemicals on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects may be caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental factors. If a family suspects that the birth defects of a child could 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 lawyer to discuss their case.

Chemicals and other contaminants in the environment can cause serious birth defects if they are ingested or taken in by pregnant women. Teratogens are the names given to these substances. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and some can be harmful when they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium from contaminated coal can cause a variety of birth defects and health problems. Industrial solvents, such as benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also linked with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are utilized in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are recognized to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects too.

The experienced birth defect attorneys at LK have filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a myriad of birth defects resulting from unintentional exposure to toxic chemicals and chemicals at work or in their homes. These lawsuits usually involve a complicated scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, embryologists and occupational medicine experts.