Twenty Myths About Birth Defect Litigation: Busted

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer If your child is born with a birth defect, it can be devastating for you and your entire family. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can quickly mount up. A Hyattsville lawyer that specializes in birth defects could help you claim compensation for the costs of taking care of your disabled children. Legal claims for birth defects can be a little tangled and therefore it is vital to seek legal advice whenever you can. Medical Malpractice Medical professionals must adhere to a certain standard when treating pregnant women or their infants. A doctor can be held liable for damages if their actions result in birth defects or injuries. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects can assist you in determining whether your child's health issue was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or the birth. A doctor may be liable for a birth injury when they fail to recognize or properly respond to distress in the fetus. This could lead to a variety of serious issues, including hypoxic ischemic brain injury (HIE) and brain injuries like cerebral palsy. Birth injuries differ from birth defects in the sense that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery or labor. A possible injury is Erb's spalsy which occurs when the nerves that control the infant's limbs and arms are stretched or torn. Another type of injury is called caput succedaneum. It's swelling of the scalp. Both of these can result in permanent disability and require ongoing treatment, resulting in large medical expenses. A Washington, DC lawyer who is skilled in birth defects can offer a free consultation to look over your case and decide on the best course for you and your baby. Prescription Drugs A birth defect attorney may be able to help parents determine the reason behind a child's birth injury. While many birth defects are caused by the genetics of a mother's pregnancy however, they may also occur due to medications. A number of commonly used medications can have a negative impact on fetuses. This is especially evident in the initial three months of pregnancy. Anti-nausea drugs, NSAIDs, and chemotherapy drugs are among the most common. These drugs have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and brain defects, heart defects and craniosynostosis. A doctor's job is to consider the risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors do not meet this standard of care they could be liable for medical malpractice. Pharmaceutical companies could be held accountable for not adequately warning mothers of the risks associated with their drugs. Zofran is a medication that is used to treat nausea in cancer patients, was shown to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy. A birth defect lawyer can help a family get compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This could include hospital expenses as well as doctor's fees, pharmaceutical costs and other costs, along with assistive devices and therapy. Chemical Exposure A birth defect lawyer could bring a lawsuit for families of children who suffer from congenital disabilities because of the negligence of companies who expose pregnant women to chemicals and other drugs that cause birth defects. These lawyers are specially-trained to determine the reason for birth defects so that they can bring a lawsuit against companies who expose pregnant women to teratogens either at work or at home. Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are the use of fungicides and metals as well as herbicides and other pesticides. These chemicals are called teratogens due to their impact on the healthy growth of the fetus causing chemical changes that prevent normal cell function or lead to organs to be malformed. These chemicals are used in various settings, including manufacturing of semiconductors, metal cleaning and paint production. Other harmful chemicals that could cause birth defects are aliphatic chlorinated hydrocarbons 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 various companies who were responsible for the exposure of families of soldiers at Camp Lejeune to these harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements for families whose children were born with severe birth 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 a child's birth defects may be the result of medical negligence, prescription drug overdose, or exposure to harmful chemical, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss their case. If birth defect lawyer santa clarita or absorb contaminants from the surrounding environment They could cause serious birth defects. Teratogens are the term used to describe these substances. More than 4 million chemicals can be found in our air, food and water. Certain of these chemicals are harmful to pregnant women. For instance, arsenic found in drinking water and cadmium in contaminated coal can cause various birth defects and other health issues. Certain birth defects can also be associated with industrial solvents like benzene (a metal degreaser) as well as toluene (a solvent for plastics) and trichloroethylene. Glycol ethers that are employed in the manufacturing of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's risk of developing birth defects too. Our experienced attorneys for birth defects have filed a variety of lawsuits in behalf of children suffering from many birth defects due to wrongful toxic or chemical exposure at their workplace or home. These lawsuits involve complicated scientific analyses and expert witnesses, such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.