Why You Should Concentrate On Making Improvements To Birth Defect Litigation

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for your family and you. The cost of therapy, medical bills and other losses can quickly accumulate.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file an action to collect compensation for the expenses of taking care of your child with disabilities. A legal claim for birth defects could be complicated, and you should seek legal counsel whenever you can.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to the highest standards of care when treating pregnant women and their babies. Doctors can be held accountable for any damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who is experienced in birth defect lawsuits can assist you in determining whether your child’s condition could be due to an error in medical care during pregnancy or the birth.

A doctor can be held accountable for birth injuries if they fail recognize fetal distress and do not respond appropriately. This can lead to a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries like cerebral palsy.

The difference between a birth defect and a birth injury is that defects are part of a person’s genetic make-up and injuries are caused due to something happening during labor, pregnancy, or delivery. The causes of injuries include conditions such as Erb’s palsy that occurs when the nerves that energize and control the arms of an infant are stretched or damaged during birth and the caput succedaneum is an increase in the size of the scalp. Both can result in a permanent disability and ongoing treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC lawyer who specializes in birth defects can provide a no-cost consultation to analyze your case and determine the best course of action for you and your baby.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect lawyer might be able to assist parents identify the cause of the 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. A number of common medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is particularly applicable in the early months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs and chemotherapy medications are among the most frequently used. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostois.

It is the responsibility of a doctor to be aware of the risks when prescribing medication for pregnant women. If doctors do not follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for malpractice. Pharma companies may also be held accountable for not properly informing mothers about the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in the first trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of living. This could include hospital fees medical expenses, doctor’s fees and pharmaceutical costs and other expenses as well as assistive devices and therapy.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring a lawsuit on behalf of families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities resulting from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the reason for the birth defect so that they can file a lawsuit against companies which expose mothers to teratogens when they are working or in their homes.

Metals, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are some of the chemicals that can cause birth defects. These chemicals are known as Teratogens as they interfere with the growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or create organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in a variety of situations, such as semiconductor manufacturing and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that may cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as trichloroethylene perchloroethylene or dichloroethane. These chemicals have been proven to cause heart defects in babies born to mothers exposed in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have gotten substantial settlements on behalf families whose children were born with severe defects as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects are caused by a combination between medical negligence and environmental conditions. If a family believes that the birth defect of their child could be due to medical malpractice, prescription drug overdose or exposure to harmful chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

If pregnant women consume or absorb pollutants from the environment, they can cause serious birth defects. These chemicals are called Teratogens. Over 4 million chemicals exist in our air, food and water, and some of them are harmful if they come into contact with a woman who is pregnant.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium found in coal that has been contaminated, for example, can cause birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects are caused by industrial solvents such as benzene (a metal degreaser) and 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 manufacture semiconductors display panels, silicon chip displays, and video displays.

LK’s experienced birth defect attorneys have brought numerous lawsuits on behalf of children who suffer from a wide range of birth defects as a result of wrongful toxic and chemical exposure at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits typically require complicated scientific analysis and expert witnesses, including toxicologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, occupational medicine experts and embryologists.