Why You Should Concentrate On Improving Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child is born with a birth deformity it can cause a lot of grief for your family as well as you. Therapy costs, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could assist you seek compensation for the costs of caring for your children with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects may be complicated, which is why you should consult a lawyer immediately.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. A doctor could be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits will help you determine if your child's condition could be the result of an error made by the medical professional during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor could also be responsible for a birth injury when they fail to diagnose or properly respond to distress of the fetus. This could lead to many serious problems like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects because they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. Injuries can be caused by Erb's palsy which is a condition where the nerves that control the baby's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is the caput succedaneum, a swelling on the scalp. Both of these can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, which can result in significant medical bills. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will provide a no-cost consultation to examine your case and determine the best course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects result from genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. A variety of common medications can have a significant effect on fetuses especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

A doctor's job is to consider these risks when prescribing medication for women who are pregnant. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they could be liable for medical negligence. Pharma companies may also be held responsible for not adequately informing mothers about the risks associated with their medication. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea among cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects occurring in first-trimester pregnancies.

A birth defect lawyer can assist a family receive compensation for future and current medical expenses that result from the disability or injury, and also loss of income and quality of life. This can include hospital costs, doctor's fees, 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 which expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the reason for birth defects so they can bring a suit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at workplace or at home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are among the chemicals that can cause birth defect law firms defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens as they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or cause organs that are not properly formed. These chemicals can be present in a variety environments, including semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other dangerous chemicals that may cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to hold companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina exposed to harmful chemicals. Some of the birth defect lawyers have secured substantial settlements on behalf of families who had their children born with serious defects as a result of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Certain birth defects are caused by a combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should talk to an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the situation.

If pregnant women inhale or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. These substances are known as teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals are found in our air, food and water and some can be harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

For instance, arsenic from drinking water, and cadmium from coal that is contaminated can cause a variety of birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defect attorneys defects are related to industrial solvents, such as benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol-ethers are also known to increase the likelihood of birth defects occurring in women. These chemicals are used to make semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits on the name of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects due to an unintentional exposure to chemicals or toxic substances at their workplace or home. These lawsuits usually involve a complex scientific analysis and experts as witnesses, like toxicologists or epidemiologists, geneticists occupational medicine experts, and embryologists.