Guide To Birth Defect Litigation: The Intermediate Guide Towards Birth Defect Litigation > 문의하기

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect it could have a devastating effect on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy costs and other expenses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer can help you file a claim to recover compensation for the expenses of taking care of your disabled child. Legal claims for birth defects are complicated, so it is important to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must follow a set of guidelines when treating pregnant women and their babies. When a doctor's actions do not meet the standards and cause birth defects or injuries, they can be held accountable for the damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer with experience in birth defect lawsuits can determine if your child's condition was caused by a medical mistake during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury that occurs during birth if they fail to recognize or appropriately respond to distress of the fetus. This can cause various serious problems, including hypoxic-ischemic neuropathy and brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The distinction between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person's genetic make-up and injuries are triggered by an event that occurs during labor, pregnancy or delivery. Injury can include Erb's Palsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum which is swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can cause permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is an expert in birth defects may offer a free consultation to examine your case and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer could be able to help parents determine the reason for the birth injury or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, certain medications can also cause birth defects. Many commonly used medications can have a negative impact on the fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. These include anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications such as certain antibiotics and more. These drugs have been found to increase the risk of limb and heart defects, brain deformities and craniosynostosis.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to take into consideration the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. When doctors fail to meet the standards of care required, they may be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not properly warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to significantly increase the risk of serious congenital defects during the first trimester of pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist families receive compensation for the future and present medical expenses that result from the injury or disability, in addition to loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs medical expenses, doctor's fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses along with assistive devices and therapy.

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 who expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as teratogens because they affect the healthy development of the fetus making chemical changes that inhibit normal cell function or cause organs to be malformed. These chemicals are found in diverse settings like manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic hydrocarbons with aliphatic chlorinated chemistry such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been known to cause birth defects, such as cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits against a variety of companies involved in exposing the families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defects lawyers have won substantial settlements for families who had children born with severe birth defects due to the toxic chemical exposures on the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child could be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should speak with an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the issue.

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

For example, arsenic in drinking water as well as cadmium derived from coal that has been contaminated can trigger a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are also linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known for their ability to increase the risk of birth defects among women. These chemicals are used to manufacture semiconductors, silicon chip displays and video displays.

LK's skilled birth defect attorneys have filed a variety of lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a variety of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or in their homes. These lawsuits often involve an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists as well as epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.