Las Vegas Pregnancy Medication Error Lawyers
Tough representation when medical mistakes are due to medication errors
Medication errors lead to countless injuries and deaths each year, but when the victim is pregnant, those errors can harm the unborn baby, too. At Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, our Las Vegas pregnancy medication errors lawyers have obtained more than $1.5 billion in recoveries for personal injury victims. We are strong, accomplished advocates for mothers, children, and families. We’ll fight for all the compensation every victim deserves.
$485 Million
Claggett & Sykes trial team secured a $485M verdict against Acadia Healthcare, Inc., for its involvement in placing children in a foster care home with a known child predator. We believe this is the largest single-plaintiff sexual abuse verdict ever.
Quick Questions
- Can pregnant women take medication?
- What medications are considered dangerous during pregnancy?
- Which labor and delivery drugs can cause injuries?
- How can a Las Vegas birth injury lawyer help with a dangerous drug claim?
- How much is a pregnancy medication injury claim worth in Nevada?
- Do you have a Las Vegas medication error lawyer near me?
Mothers do get sick while they’re pregnant. They also may take medications to ensure they don’t get sick. Taking the wrong medication can cause the loss of your baby, birth defects, premature births, developmental disabilities, and death.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seven in 10 women report taking at least one prescription medication during pregnancy. Mothers should consult with their obstetrician or gynecologist, family doctor, and/or other doctors to review which medications they’re taking, whether any medications should be stopped or whether substitutes should be used, and what medications to avoid if new health problems arise. There are normally specific recommended guidelines for each type of drug that might affect a mother or a child. The CDC states that certain health conditions are especially problematic for pregnant women.
Your doctor should review your current medications and any new medications you take before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after your baby is born.
According to Healthline, pregnant women should avoid certain OTC and prescription medications and some antibiotics. Some of the drugs known to be dangerous or to have adverse reactions for pregnant women include:
- Antibiotics. These include:
- Chloramphenicol. This drug, which is usually injected, can cause severe blood disorders and gray baby syndrome.
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin. These antibiotics could “cause problems with the baby’s muscle and skeletal growth as well as joint pain and potential nerve damage in the mother.” These drugs can also increase the risk of aortic tears or ruptures which can be life-threatening. These drugs are fluoroquinolones, which may increase the risk of a miscarriage.
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Ievofloxacin. This drug, used to treat malaria, may, according to animal studies, damage blood cells in a fetus.
- Sulfonamides. These sulfa drugs can cause jaundice in newborns and increase the risk of a miscarriage.
- Trimethoprim (Primsol). This medication can cause neural tube defects that affect a baby’s brain development.
- Codeine. This pain prescription medication (available in some states without a prescription) can be habit-forming and cause withdrawal symptoms in newborns.
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Ibuprofen is, in most cases, fine in small or moderate doses. But in high doses, Healthline says, these pain relievers can cause a miscarriage, jaundice, labor delays, “premature closing of the fetal ductus arteriosus, an important artery,” hemorrhage in both the baby and mother, necrotizing enterocolitis, low levels of amniotic fluid, fetal kernicterus (brain damage), and abnormal levels of vitamin K. Mothers should avoid it entirely in the third trimester.
- Warfarin (Coumadin). This blood thinner can cause birth defects.
- Clonazepam (Klonopin). This drug used for seizures and panic attacks can lead to withdrawal symptoms in newborns.
- Lorazepam (Ativan). This medication is used for mental health disorders that can “cause birth defects or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in a baby after birth.”
First Cry, an online pregnancy publication, recommends that pregnant women also review the following medications with their physicians when they become pregnant:
- Antifungal drugs. Vaginal yeast infections are a common occurrence during pregnancy. Fluconazole tablets that are prescribed for oral thrush and other fungal infections may be your first choice but you should not take these tablets. This is because the preparation of these drugs includes certain ingredients that could seep into the umbilical cord and reach the baby through the placenta, and negatively impact the development of the fetus.
- Antihistamines. Some of these allergy medications could cause birth injury complications, especially during the third trimester.
- Herbal remedies. Some herbs may cause a “miscarriage, stillbirth or developmental defects.” It’s best to check with your doctor to understand the herbal ingredients and the potential risks.
Other drugs that may be dangerous for a mother or child, in addition to antibiotics, include illegal drugs, medications for morning sickness, nasal decongestants, travel vaccines, tranquilizers, and anticonvulsant drugs. Anti-seizure medications and antidepressants may also be dangerous.
Some of the drugs given during labor that may be dangerous to the mother and/or the baby include:
- Anesthesia. During the delivery, the anesthesiologist ensures that the mothers are given the correct medications properly.
- Epidurals. This procedure, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “involves injecting a medication — either an anesthetic or a steroid— into the space around your spinal nerves known as the epidural space. The goal of an epidural procedure is to provide pain relief (analgesia) or a complete lack of feeling (anesthesia) for one region of your body, such as your legs or belly.” They’re a common procedure during labor and childbirth. If not administered correctly, however, the effects on mother and child can cause catastrophic harm.
- Cytotec (Misoprostol). This drug is sometimes used for uterine contractions and cervical needs. The risks of using Cytotec include rupture of the uterus, premature birth, birth defects, other complications, and death.
- Pitocin (a type of Oxytocin) is a medication, like Cytotec, that is used to induce labor by regulating contractions during childbirth. If doctors fail to administer the drug properly, your baby may not get the oxygen and blood it needs. Mothers may rupture their uterus. The loss of oxygen can cause severe birth injuries including cerebral palsy. The use of Pitocin is regulated by the FDA. Pitocin should only be used when necessary. The drug should be administered correctly and in the proper dosage. The mother and infant should be closely monitored. Complications also include stroke, severe bleeding, and even death.
Our Las Vegas birth injury lawyers file lawsuits on behalf of individuals and families when dangerous drugs cause harm to mothers or babies. Whether that harm occurred during labor or delivery, or in the postpartum care of the mother and child, does not matter: what matters is that your life has been changed because of someone else’s negligence.
Our team reviews which drugs are FDA-approved, which drugs have been properly tested, which drugs are known to cause harm to mothers and children, and which drugs should and shouldn’t be given according to local medical standards. Our claims on behalf of mothers and children are usually filed as medical malpractice claims for birth injuries of the child or maternal injuries of the mother.
Our Las Vegas pregnancy medication error attorneys work with physicians who are experienced at demonstrating what mistakes were made, and how they were preventable. We also work with physicians who explain what injuries you and your child currently have, the medical care that will be required, the cost of that care, and all the ways the injuries are affecting your life and your child’s life.
The value of your claim depends on the type of injury you or your child has. We seek compensation for all the current and future medical bills, lost income, physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of function, scarring or disfigurement, rehabilitative care, assistive devices, and new medications.
If a mother or child dies due to pregnancy medication errors, we file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family members.
We’ll explain what limitations on pain and suffering and any punitive damages apply.
Do you have a Las Vegas pregnancy medication error lawyer near me?
Our Las Vegas office is located at 4101 Meadows Lane, Suite 100. We’re conveniently located near Springs Preserve and Meadows Mall. We meet clients away from the office when necessary. We also speak with clients by phone and through video conversations.
We’re respected throughout the country for our ability to handle catastrophic injuries.
Speak with our experienced Las Vegas pregnancy medication injury lawyers today
Claggett & Sykes Law Firm has built a national reputation on our willingness to take on the most complex litigation there is. If you or your child was injured because of a dangerous drug or pregnancy medication error, our lawyers in Las Vegas want to help. To schedule a free consultation, call us or fill out our contact form today.