Why You Should Focus On Improving Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with an anomaly in the birth it could cause a huge impact on you and your family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other losses can quickly add up.

A Hyattsville lawyer who specializes in birth defects could assist to file a claim for compensation for the cost of caring for your child with disabilities. Legal claims for birth defect lawsuit defects are complex and therefore it is crucial to seek legal advice whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women and their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages when their actions cause birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has experience in birth defect lawsuits (Info) can help you determine whether your child's condition may have been caused by a medical error during pregnancy or delivery.

A doctor may also be the cause of an injury to the fetus if they fail to diagnose or adequately respond to distress of the fetus. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by events during pregnancy, birth, or labor. These injuries can be caused by conditions such as Erb's palsy that occurs when the nerves that power and control the infant's arms are stretched or damaged during birth as well as caput succedaneum which is a swelling of the scalp. Both of these conditions can lead to lifelong disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in hefty medical costs. A Washington, DC lawyer who is specialized in birth defects will offer a free consultation in order to review your case, and determine the most appropriate course for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer may be able to help parents determine the reason for a child's birth injury, or defect. Many birth defects are caused by genes or other factors that occur during pregnancy. However, medications can also cause birth defects. Certain commonly used medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. They include anti-nausea medicines, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications as well as certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to adhere to this standard of care they may be liable for medical negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the dangers associated with their drugs. For instance, Zofran, a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of major congenital defects in the first trimester of pregnancies.

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

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children with congenital disabilities as a result due to the negligence of corporations that expose pregnant women to chemicals and drugs that can cause birth deformities. These lawyers are specially trained to determine the root of the birth defect to bring a lawsuit against the companies which expose mothers to teratogens while they are at work or in their home.

Metals, fungicides and herbicides as well as pesticides are a few chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are called teratogens, because they can affect the healthy development a the fetus via chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs or hinder normal cell function. These chemicals are found in many different settings, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects are the aliphatic hydrocarbons like dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, or perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac defects, in babies born to mothers who were exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed suit against a number of firms that were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have secured significant settlements for families who have children who were born with severe defects resulting from 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 is concerned that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug abuse or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should contact an DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women ingest or absorb contaminants from their environment They could cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are referred to as Teratogens. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women.

Arsenic from drinking water or cadmium in coal that has been contaminated for instance, could cause birth defects as well as other health issues. Certain birth defects are linked to industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser), toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers, utilized in the production of semiconductors, silicon chips and video displays, are well-known to increase the risk of birth defects.

Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed many lawsuits in behalf of children who suffered from a variety of birth defects as a result of accidental exposure to toxic chemicals or chemicals at work or at home. These lawsuits usually involve a an extensive scientific analysis as well as experts as witnesses, like toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine specialists and embryologists.