Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

As a general rule, all hormonal birth control medications are associated with side effects and health risks, and the oral contraceptive pills YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella are no exception.

Blood clots can cause serious side effects; stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

A blood clot, or thrombosis, which begins in one part of the body can become an embolus, a blood clot that travels in the bloodstream. This embolus can migrate into any organ but usually migrates into the lungs, heart, or brain.

A deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a thrombosis which most commonly forms in the lower legs' calf veins. A pulmonary embolism, or PE is a thrombosis which forms in or has moved into the lungs. Thrombosis which develops in the heart can break off and migrate to the brain leading to strokes.

Read new British Medical Journal article on Oral Contraceptives and Thromboembolism

Continue reading " Mechanisms for Yaz, Yasmin And Ocella Blood Clots In Women " »

On Oct. 18, 2005, plaintiff Alvin Greenberg, 58, disabled, suffered from an overdose of Zyprexa. He had been administered the drug by the staff at the Green Acres Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, in Wyndmoor, where he was a resident; the order for the anti-psychotic medication had been called into the facility by his treating physician three days earlier.

Greenberg's daughter and power-of-attorney, Alicia Greenberg, sued Green Acres, Melanio Aguirre, Greenberg's attending physician, and Aguirre's practice, claiming negligence, in order to recover personal injury damages. Prior to trial Greenberg settled with Green Acres for an undisclosed amount but Green Acres still remained in the action as a defendant.

Plaintiff's counsel alleged that Greenberg was given 10 times the proper amount of Zyprexa, causing Greenberg to require an emergency room admission for Zyprexa toxicity. According to counsel, when Aguirre spoke to the nurse by telephone on Oct. 15, it wasn't clear whether Aguirre directed the nurse to give Greenberg 25 mg or 2.5 mg of the medication. Plaintiff's counsel asserted that both Aguirre and the nursing home were liable for the overdose because they didn't ensure that Greenberg receive the proper dosage of the medication he required.

Continue reading " Nursing Home Medical Malpractice: Staff Dispensed 10 times Correct Dosage " »

Yamaha Motor Co., the world’s second-largest motorcycle maker, is not liable for damages to the family of a Texas teenager who died while driving the company’s Rhino all-terrain vehicle.

Jurors in state court in Orange, Texas, deliberated about two hours before ruling the vehicle wasn’t to blame for the death of 13-year-old Forest “Eddie” Ray in 2007. The Rhino, a cross between a golf cart and an ATV, has been linked to 59 deaths in the U.S. The case is the first of about 500 to go to trial.

Continue reading " Texas Jury Decides Yamaha Not Liable for Teen’s Rhino Death " »

When she was thrown out of nursing school just 13 weeks before graduating, Sara Castle was humiliated.

Still, she knew she and her classmates weren’t getting the clinical training they needed because an instructor repeatedly dismissed students early — a practice Castle exposed, and the teacher was fired.

But Castle, too, was a casualty as Appalachian Technical College expelled her for, she asserts, blowing the whistle.

This week a jury awarded Castle $450,000 for the ordeal. The 55-year-old never finished her degree.

Continue reading " Jury Awards Whistle-Blower Student $450,000 " »

A District Court jury has awarded nearly $4.4 million to the widow and children of a UT Payson man who suffered fatal injuries in 2006 when he tried to swerve around backed-up traffic on Interstate 15 and hit other vehicles.

That amount will be reduced by almost $2 million because of a state law that caps damages against the state and because of the victim's share of responsibility for the accident.

The family of Richard Kunzler claimed in a lawsuit that the state Department of Transportation and a subcontractor working on a bridge reconstruction project near Spanish Fork failed to post appropriate signs warning motorists about traffic delays. Vehicles were backing up to Benjamin and drivers were given insufficient warning about the construction, the suit claimed.

Continue reading " Family Awarded $4.4M in Suit Over Fatal Accident " »

Since the Chantix black box warning was announced earlier in July 2009, the focus has been on the increased risk of suicides. Pfizer also quietly added new information to the warning label about reports of serious skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, referred to as SJS, is a rare skin reaction that can occur as a side effect of several medications. It results in severe rashes and blistering of the skin and mouth.

It often requires treatment in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) or burn care unit, and it can result in death. If the top layer of the skin detaches from the lower layers and lesions cover more than 30% of the body, SJS is often diagnosed as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

Continue reading " Chantix Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Side Effects " »

Exxon Mobil Corp. lost the second phase of a trial in which New York City accused the company of poisoning the city’s groundwater, with a jury ruling that a gasoline additive will remain in water wells for years.

The case is part of larger litigation over methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE. More than 70 lawsuits filed by water providers and state and local governments were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin for pretrial information-gathering, according to an industry Web site.

An 11-member jury decided today that MTBE will contaminate the output of six affected wells at a peak level of 10 parts per billion in 2033. The verdict came on the third day of deliberations, less than two hours after jurors told Scheindlin they were deadlocked on a part of the case.

Continue reading " Exxon Loses Second Phase of New York Water-Well Trial " »

Johnson & Johnson warned doctors of reports of a deadly skin reaction and liver failure tied to its HIV medicine Intelence.

The skin condition called toxic epidermal necrolysis has killed one patient and injured another since Intelence was approved in January 2008. Another patient taking the tablets reported a hypersensitivity reaction accompanied by liver failure.

The prescribing information for Intelence was revised to include these reports and a caution that doctors stop treatment immediately if patients develop severe skin reactions or hypersensitivity symptoms, according to a letter e-mailed today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Similar side effects were seen in some study participants and have also been linked to other drugs for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Continue reading " J&J Unit Warns of Deadly Skin Reaction With HIV Drug Intelence " »

It only took a few hours for Southeast Texas jurors in the first trial over Yamaha Rhino all-terrain vehicle rollovers to return a swift ruling of no negligence -- a verdict in the company's favor that could have far reaching effects.

With hundreds of Yamaha ATV suits pending in courts around the country, the victorious outcome obtained in Orange County may influence how Yamaha proceeds with similar litigation.

The product liability trial of Johnny Ray vs. Yamaha Motor Co. kicked off Aug. 18 and ended Aug. 27.

Jurors in the Orange County District Court of Judge Buddy Hahn were tasked to decide if Yamaha Motor Co. cut costs and negligently placed a defective off-road vehicle into the stream of commerce.

Continue reading " South Texas Jury Finds Yamaha not Negligent in First Rhino Rollover Trial " »

A jury returned a nearly $3.8 million verdict against a Montgomery hotel where a 19-year-old football player suffered injuries that led to his death two years ago.

Derrick Marshall was a standout receiver who had signed with Alabama State University.

Marshall was about to start two-a-day workouts with the Hornets when he drowned in the pool at the hotel during a family reunion July 29, 2007, said Josh Wright, an attorney for Marshall's family.

Marshall did not die immediately, but was left in a vegetative state. He died at the age of 20 in November 2007 at Jackson Hospital.

Continue reading " Hotel Drowning Wrongful Death Jury Verdict $3.8 M " »

An advertisement for Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) Ertaczo, a product to treat the fungal infection known as athlete's foot, makes unproven claims about the medicine's effectiveness and omits key information about risks associated with the product, federal regulators said on Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration said Johnson & Johnson used "misleading" information and did not mention certain risks in a medical journal advertisement for its athlete's foot cream Ertaczo.

In an Aug. 21 letter released by the FDA Wednesday, the agency said the journal advertisement broadens the approved indication, contains unsubstantiated effectiveness claims about the product, and omits important risk information. Also, the FDA said J&J failed to submit the journal advertisement under current FDA regulations.

The company has until Sept. 4 to respond to the FDA letter.

"We have received an untitled letter from the FDA, which we are currently reviewing, and are in the process of preparing our response to the FDA," said Marc Boston, a spokesman for J&J's Ortho Dermtalogics unit, in a statement.

Continue reading " FDA Accuses J&J of 'Misleading' Advertising for Ertaczo " »

A Dallas Cowboys scouting assistant who was left paralyzed and a special-teams coach whose neck was broken in the May 2 collapse of the team’s practice facility in Irving filed separate lawsuits against the Pennsylvania-based company that built the structure.

The lawsuits, which also name an engineer and five other companies involved in construction and maintenance of the facility, contend that structural problems and code violations were kept from the team for years before the tentlike structure collapsed in gusting winds.

Rich Behm, who was paralyzed from the waist down, and coach Joe DeCamillis are seeking an undisclosed amount for their pain and suffering and for punitive damages.

Continue reading " Dallas Cowboys Staffers File Lawsuits Over Sport Facility Collapse " »

Altria Group Inc., parent company of Philip Morris USA, the Marlboro cigarette maker, must pay $13.8 million in punitive damages to the daughter of a lifelong smoker who died of lung cancer in 2003, a jury found.

The verdict for Jodie Bullock, daughter of Betty Bullock, who smoked Marlboro and Benson & Hedges cigarettes for 45 years, was reached in Los Angeles. An earlier award of $28 billion from a 2002 trial had been first reduced by the trial judge and then canceled by an appeals court that ordered a new trial on punitive damages.

Continue reading " Jury Says Altria Must Pay $13.8 M in Smoker Lawsuit " »

Camp Lejeune residents blame rare breast cancer cluster on the water.
For three decades, dry-cleaning chemicals and industrial solvents laced the water used by local Marines and their families. Mike Partain and at least 19 others developed male breast cancer.

One night in April 2007, as Mike Partain hugged his wife before going to bed, she felt a small lump above his right nipple. A mammogram -- a "man-o-gram," he called it -- led to a diagnosis of male breast cancer. Six days later, the 41-year-old insurance adjuster had a mastectomy.

Partain had no idea men could get breast cancer. But he thinks he knows what caused his: contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he was born.

Over the last two years, Partain has compiled a list of 19 others diagnosed with male breast cancer who once lived on the base.

Continue reading " Camp Lejeune Residents Blame Rare Breast Cancer Cluster on the Water. " »

For three decades, dry-cleaning chemicals and industrial solvents laced the water used by local Marines and their families. Mike Partain and at least 19 others developed male breast cancer.

One night in April 2007, as Mike Partain hugged his wife before going to bed, she felt a small lump above his right nipple. A mammogram led to a diagnosis of male breast cancer. Six days later, the 41-year-old insurance adjuster had a mastectomy.

Over the last two years, Partain has compiled a list of 19 others diagnosed with male breast cancer who once lived on the base.

Continue reading " Camp Lejeune Residents Blame Breast Cancer on the Water " »

Denture Cream Lawsuit – Zinc Poisoning Symptoms

It has increasingly been reported that the denture cream ingredient zinc is associated with neurological symptoms including neuropathy in denture wearers. The recommended daily allowance of zinc is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies the largest daily tolerable zinc intake is 40 mg.

Fixodent denture adhesive and alleged Fixodent zinc poisoning is complicated by the fact zinc, as a trace element, is part of a healthy diet. Denture cream zinc poisoning happens when too much zinc is used.

According to the official Fixodent web site, "the amount of zinc an average denture adhesive user would ingest from daily usage of Fixodent" is less than the amount of zinc contained in most daily multivitamins, or fewer than 6 oysters.

Continue reading " Poligrip and Fixodent Denture Cream Use Leads to Zinc Poisoning " »

A man severely injured in a pileup that killed three people on Highway 40 (Interstate 64) last year is entitled to more than $13.8 million from a truck driver and his company, a federal magistrate judge has ruled.

The man's wife has been awarded $4.2 million more.

The crash left Mark Tiburzi, 53, under constant care in a nursing home, unable to walk or talk, according to his lawyer and court filings.

Trial is pending on involuntary manslaughter charges in St. Louis County against the truck driver, Jeffrey D. Knight, who was blamed for the wreck. Officials claim he was distracted by reaching for a cell phone when his tractor-trailer rig piled into vehicles near Interstate 270 on July 15, 2008, causing the three fatalities and 14 injuries.

Continue reading " Judge Awards $18 M to Man Hurt in St. Louis County Pileup " »

A new product liability lawsuit has been filed in St. Clair County, Ill. over the birth control pill Yaz, by a woman who says the drug caused her to suffer a blood clot in her lung, known as a pulmonary embolism.

The Yaz blood clot lawsuit was filed by Kerry Sims on August 18, according to a report in the St. Clair Record. Read the St. Clair Record report here. It is one of many similar lawsuits over Yaz and Yasmin, which are nearly identical oral contraceptives.

Read the full package insert, indications and risk profile for Yaz.

Continue reading " Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Lawsuit Filed in Illinois State Court " »

About 11% of the U.S. market for oral contraceptives is now accounted for by Yasmin, a combination pill containing the novel progestin, drospirenone, in combination with ethinyl estradiol (EE).

Yaz lawsuits are personal injury cases in which women injured after taking Yaz birth control seek compensation for their injuries and losses.

Both Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills are known to potentially cause life-threatening side effects including blood clots, heart attacks, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and liver damage.

Yasmin was introduced earlier (approved in 2001 by the FDA), and has a slightly higher EE level:

* Yasmin—3 mg drospirenone and 30 mcg EE per tablet
* Yaz—3 mg drospirenone and 20 mcg EE per tablet

Continue reading " Yaz Yasmin Birth Control Side Effects " »

On May 15, 2007, plaintiff Jonny Osler, a 57-year-old language instructor, was riding a motor scooter on Collins Road in Sunny Isles when Nasir Jamal allegedly changed lanes in his Mercedes and hit him. Osler was wearing a helmet, but he was rendered unconscious by the impact. Having no recollection of the accident, Osler was ticketed at the scene. Osler sustained a subdural hematoma and fractured collar bone.

Osler sued Jamal for vehicular negligence, alleging that Jamal was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident. Although subpoenaed records supported that theory, Jamal denied at trial that he was on the phone when the collision occurred. There were no witnesses to the accident.

Osler's accident reconstruction expert testified that Jamal's testimony was incredible. He opined that the way the scooter was laying on the ground after the accident according to the police report was inconsistent with Jamal's claim. Jamal paid cash to have his car repaired shortly after the accident. According to counsel for Osler, questions arose as to whether Jamal had repaired his vehicle and if so what had been repaired.

Continue reading " Motor scooter rider sustained head injury in collision " »

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a major settlement of a discrimination lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act against Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, Inc. for $1.72 million and significant remedial relief on behalf of three employees in their twenties who were subjected to a pervasive sexually hostile work environment and retaliated against for complaining about it.

The former employees, two young men and one woman, were subjected to widespread and repeated sexual harassment by male and female managers and coworkers at a Lowe’s store in Longview, Wash. The sexually hostile workplace, which endured for more than six months, included physical and verbal abuse which culminated in one instance of sexual assault.

Continue reading " Rampant Sex Harassment Costs Lowe’s $1.7 M in Settlement of EEOC Lawsuit " »

A Denton County jury has awarded the family of a Denton woman who died of misdiagnosed cancer $3.5 million, one of the largest awards in Denton since the tort law reform of 2003.

Civil suit law, however, will cut that amount to $1.5 million to be shared by her husband, her two young children and her father after attorney fees.

Melissa Hendricks was 33 when she noticed a marble-sized bump on the right crown of her head, according to court documents.

Hendricks waited about a month, then visited Highland Family Medical Center in Highland Village on Oct. 14, 2002. She saw Dr. Stephen Glaser, who told her it was a sebaceous cyst, which is a nonmalignant lesion, according to the documents.

Continue reading " Denton Texas Jury says Doctor Failed to Diagnose Woman’s Cancer " »

Side effects of Yaz birth control could increase the risk of life-threatening injuries. Yaz lawsuits are being reviewed nationwide.

Yaz, which is nearly identical to Yasmin birth control, is a newer type of oral contraceptive sold by Bayer. It has been aggressively marketed without adequate warnings about potentially life-threatening side effects.

This site provides Yasmin lawsuit information and the latest news regarding Yasmin side effects and problems. This relatively new birth control has been marketed heavily to women in the United States and is one of the first contraceptives considered a “fourth generation” birth control pill.

It is manufactured by Bayer which also markets Yaz birth control. Generic Yasmin is marketed as “Ocella” and is manufactured by Teva. Yasmin is a combination hormonal contraceptive. It contains the hormones ethinyl estradiol (estrogen) and drospirenone which is a synthetic form of progestin.

Continue reading " Yaz Yasmin Birth Control Information and Lawsuits " »

In November 2005, plaintiff Lee Arnette Zapel, 56, president of a medical supplies company, was diagnosed with cervical cancer during a hysterectomy. The exploratory surgery was due to abdominal pain that she experienced for months leading up to the surgery, which resulted in numerous tests and hospitalizations, including a change in her OB-GYN the previous month.

Zapel, who received annual Pap tests, alleged that PCA Southeast, a Columbia [Tenn]-based pathology lab, failed to detect cervical abnormalities in her slides in 2003 and 2004.

Zapel sued the lab for medical malpractice. The defendant stipulated to negligence for misrepresenting the 2004 Pap test, but contested the 2003 test. The cervical abnormalities that the defendant failed to detect in Zapel's 2003 and 2004 Pap test slides were high-grade lesions, which were an early form of Stage 1 cancer, according to plaintiffs' counsel.

Had the defendant detected the lesions, a cervical biopsy would have been ordered to reveal the cancer and a hysterectomy would have been performed, it was alleged. The hysterectomy would have rendered a 100 percent cure that would have precluded any need for chemo-radiation treatment that Zapel eventually underwent, opined the plaintiffs' gynecological oncologist.

Continue reading " Undetected Cervical Cancer led to Bowel Obstructions " »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is reviewing adverse event reports of liver injury in patients taking the weight loss drug orlistat, marketed as the prescription drug Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli.

Between 1999 and 2008, the FDA received 32 reports of serious liver injury in patients taking orlistat. Of those cases, 27 reported hospitalization and six resulted in liver failure. Thirty of the adverse events occurred outside the United States. The most commonly reported adverse events included yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), weakness, and stomach pain.

The FDA is reviewing additional data submitted by orlistat manufacturers on suspected cases of liver injury, and the issue has been discussed at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Drug Safety Oversight Board.

“The issues here are complex, but FDA has benefited from the input of the Board, including comments from representatives from three FDA Centers and several other Agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services,” said Steven Osborne, M.D., executive director of the Board.

Continue reading " FDA: Safety Review of Weight Loss Drugs Orlistat, Xenical and Alli " »

Lawsuits have been filed alleging death and serious injury associated with NuvaRing, a contraceptive product made by Organon.

NuvaRing birth control is a third generation contraceptive manufactured by Organon USA. Nuva Ring birth control is a flexible polyethylene ring that contains estrogen and a form of the progestin desogestrel. NuvaRing is considered a combination hormonal contraceptive.

Since Nuva Ring birth control is a relatively new form of contraceptive there are few studies regarding its safety and effectiveness. As early as 1995 studies had shown there was an increased risk of venous thrombosis (blood clots) in contraceptives containing desogestrel compared to second generation birth control that contained other types of progestins.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a disease that includes deep vein thrombosis ( DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). A pulmonary embolism occurs when a segment of a thrombus (A clot within a blood vessel) within the deep venous system detaches from the vessel, travels to the lungs, and lodges within the pulmonary arteries.

Continue reading " Nuvaring Side Effects, Stroke and Pulmonary Embolism " »

Sheila Matthews, a Naples mother of three, walked into NCH North Naples Hospital’s emergency room in March 2005 in extreme pain.

Over the years, the 55-year-old retired nurse had suffered from diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and bipolar disorder. On a scale of one to 10, she told doctors, this was a nine. The pain grew as doctors tried to determine what was wrong.

“She’s screaming, she’s in so much pain,” Matthews’ attorney, Nancy La Vista of West Palm Beach, told a Collier Circuit Court jury during opening statements Aug. 13.

Six days later, Matthews would become a quadriplegic.

Continue reading " Mis Diagnosis of Epidural Abscess Leads to Paralysis " »

On April 5, 2005, plaintiff Liria Lopez, 49, a self-employed house cleaner, entered a Minyard Food Store on the corner of Abrams Road and Gaston Avenue in Dallas. It had rained that day and water had accumulated in the store's foyer area. As Lopez exited, she slipped on the water.

Lopez sued Minyard Food Stores Inc., alleging premises liability. She claimed that other customers had fallen in the same area under reasonably similar conditions about 18 months earlier. She also maintained that on the day of her accident there there were no warning signs or mats placed in the foyer, nor were there any warnings from store employees prior to her fall.

Lopez's walking surfaces/traction expert testified that the manner in which Minyard addressed the water issue in the foyer was below the standard of care. After looking at the records, he said Minyard did not adequately handle the continuing problem of a wet slick floor on rainy days.

Continue reading " Dallas Woman Sustained Brain, Knee Injuries in Slip-and-Fall Incident " »

The Yaz birth control pill has been on the market since 2006. Yaz is taken orally once daily to prevent pregnancy.

Yaz differs from other birth control methods because it contains a progestin hormone called drospirenone, which can increase potassium levels in the bloodstream. Yasmin, a birth control drug very similar to Yaz, has been on the market since 2001. It contains the same hormone as Yaz and is associated with the same health issues.

Continue reading " Yaz Birth Control Dangers and Lawsuits " »

Yaz and Yasmin manufacturers are now involved in multiple Federal and State lawsuits.

In October of 2008, a warning letter was sent by the Food and Drug Administration to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in response to claims the company had made for Yaz, a very popular and heavily promoted birth control pill.

The warning letter stated that Yaz has additional risks compared to other birth control pills because it contains drospirenone, a progestin hormone that can increase potassium levels.

Among the serious and debilitating injuries reported from the birth control pills are heart attacks, blood clots, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thrombosis, gall bladder disease, and other serious injuries. Some deaths have even occurred.

Continue reading " Yaz, Yasmin and Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, Heart Attack " »

The antibiotic Levaquin has been associated with side effects that could increase risk of tendon ruptures and permanent damage of the tendon.

STATUS OF LEVAQUIN LITIGATION: All federal Levaquin lawsuits have been consolidated in an MDL before Judge John R. Tunheim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. It has been suggested that the first cases could be trial ready by January 2010.

Throughout the country, Levaquin lawyers are continuing to review and investigate potential lawsuits for users of the antibiotic who have suffered a tendon rupture.

Continue reading " Levaquin Side Effects and Lawsuits " »

Bronchiolitis Obliterans also known as Popcorn Workers Lung, is an obstructive lung disease in which the bronchioles of the lungs are blocked by the growth of fibrous tissue.

The moniker Popcorn Workers Lung has been given to Bronchiolitis Obliterans because workers in factories that make microwavable popcorn that uses diacetyl for the buttery flavoring are known to contract the disease. The disease is irreversible, and can become so severe that a lung transplant may be necessary. Popcorn Workers Lung is a rare disorder that is known to be caused by repeated exposure to toxic gases, namely diacetyl.

Continue reading " Popcorn Workers Lung - Bronchiolitis Obliterans " »

Yaz and Yasmin are popular and widely-used oral contraceptives targeting women with the promises of worry free contraception. But there is potentially life threatening Yasmin side effects and Yaz side effects.Yaz was recently targeted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a prescription drug that is more dangerous and less effective than advertised by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.

In mid-August 2009, the results of two new studies of oral contraceptives, including Yaz and Yasmin, were released in the British Medical Journal Online. The studies showed that Yaz, Yasmin and the generic form of Yaz, Ocella, caused a six-fold increase in the risk of blood clots, which cause injuries such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE).

Continue reading " Yaz Lawsuit " »

The Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings to eight companies for illegally marketing pain relief ointments containing ibuprofen.

Regulators said in a statement Thursday the companies do not have federal permission to market their products, which mix the popular pain relief drug with other ingredients. While ibuprofen is available in a variety of tablets like Advil, the FDA has not approved any ointments containing the drug.

"These companies have an obligation to demonstrate to the FDA that their products are safe and effective, and they have failed to do so," said Deborah Autor, director of FDA's office of compliance.

Continue reading " FDA Cracks Down on Ibuprofen Pain Relief Gels " »

On June 26, 2007, at about 5:30 p.m., plaintiff Brian Moore, 19, a college student, hit a tree after he lost control of his sedan heading east on Peach Road in Fairfield County, South Carolina.

Moore alleged that he saw a clump of mud near the road's shoulder and tried to avoid it, but he couldn't, causing him to spin out of control and force him off the road. He was able to return to the road but overcorrected the vehicle which then yawed (when the vehicle's wheels are turned but the vehicle is also sliding sideways) 180 degrees and swerved through the oncoming lane and crashed into a tree with the passenger rear corner panel. Moore was paralyzed in the crash.

The road was being widened--2-foot paved shoulders were being added--and resurfaced by Boggs Paving Inc. under a contract with the state Department of Transportation. Boggs was putting down dirt that day to dress the shoulders, but the work was interrupted by a summer thunderstorm. Moore claimed that the road was contaminated with mud that had washed from the shoulders which resulted in his losing control of his vehicle.

Continue reading " Mud on Road Caused Car Crash, Paralyzing Driver " »

Yasmin is an oral contraceptive pill made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. that has been linked to heart attack, stroke, and blood clots in users. Women taking the drug to prevent pregnancy or to treat emotional and physical symptoms of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and moderate acne have suffered severe injuries and even died as a result.

The drug has been linked to 50 or more deaths in the United States between 2004 and 2008 in addition to many other injuries. Bayer has been named in numerous lawsuits filed on behalf of women who were injured or died as a result of taking Yasmin.

Yasmin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. A lower-dose version of the same drug, called Yaz, was approved in 2001. Yasmin is essentially the same drug as Yaz and uses a different kind of hormone than other birth-control pills, a drug called DRSP (drospirenone). DRSP has been shown to increase potassium in the body, which raises the possibility of severe health complications for women with kidney (renal) disease and cardiovascular conditions.

Continue reading " Yaz and Yasmin: Birth Control Pill Has Caused Patient Deaths, Heart Attack, and Stroke " »

Dozens of workers around the country have developed the debilitating lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as “popcorn workers lung,” and other respiratory illnesses from exposure to vapors from diacetyl, a component of artificial butter flavor used in microwave popcorn and many other food products.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted several studies that confirmed the link between occupational exposure to artificial butter flavoring and lung diseases. In 2000 they issued recommendations to a Missouri microwave popcorn plant about protecting workers from this hazard, and in 2003 they sent an alert recommending safeguards to 4,000 businesses that might use or make butter flavoring.

Continue reading " Diacetyl Induced Popcorn Workers Lung " »

If you believe you may have been harmed by the use of Avandia, it is important to note that your time to file a lawsuit against the maker of the drug could be running out. The statute of limitations in many states is coming up soon, and there still may be people who do not realize that the injury they have suffered could be related to their Avandia use.

New research shows that diabetics treated with the popular drug Avandia have higher risk of heart failure and death than those taking Actos, leading Canadian scientists to conclude that "continued use of [Avandia] may not be justified."

The findings, published in today's edition of the British Medical Journal, are the latest blow to the controversial blockbuster drug, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Inc.

Researchers stressed that the findings are relative and that Actos, a product of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc., also poses heart risks, albeit lesser ones.

Continue reading " Avandia Risk of Heart Failure and Lawsuits " »

When Kari and Ron Craton moved a few years ago to a more rural area of southwestern Michigan, they were seeking a more rustic life. What they got was more rust.

Government officials say food-processing plants that turn raw crops into products have contaminated the water-supply wells of the Cratons and other property owners in agricultural areas of Michigan and could do the same in other states. Residents claim increased amounts of metals in water drawn from their wells have killed their pets, ruined their plumbing and made their houses impossible to sell or rent.

Continue reading " Wastewater From MI Food Plants Getting Into Home Water Wells " »

A dye used in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) scans has been linked to a rare and potentially fatal skin disease in some users.

The problem stems from the metal gadolinium found in the dyes injected into some patients before MRI scans and all patients before MRA scans.

The disease is known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD), and appears to only occur in patients with kidney disease who undergo an MRI or MRA where a gadolinium-based dye is used.

Continue reading " Gadolinium Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (MRI Dye) and Lawsuits " »

A government test of fish pulled from nearly 300 streams in the USA found every one of them contaminated with some level of mercury.

The U.S. Geological Survey's research marks its most comprehensive examination of mercury contamination in stream fish. The study found that 27% of the fish had mercury levels high enough to exceed what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for the average fish eater, those who eat fish twice a week.

But the findings in wild-caught fish underscore how widespread mercury contamination in the nation's waterways has become. Previous research has found levels of concern in ocean and lake fish.

Continue reading " Mercury Found in all Fish Caught in U.S.-Tested Streams " »

The Yasmin/Yaz lawyers at the Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm are investigating potential Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits throughout the United States for claims on behalf of patients who took the drug and now suffer from deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in legs), pulmonary embolism, and/or strokes. Yasmin/Yaz have also been associated with heart attacks and death. These Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits allege product liability, negligence and failure to warn claims against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical.

A MDL hearing has been set in the JPML Court in Richmond, Virginia on September 24, 2009.

Continue reading " Yas/Yasmin JPML Hearing Set for September 24, 2009 " »

The Fleet Phospho-soda attorneys at Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm are investigating potential lawsuits for individuals who have suffered severe kidney damage after a colonoscopy prep where Fleet Phospho-soda was used.

While most patients only became aware of the potential for Fleet Phospho-soda kidney problems when the product was recalled in December 2008, the manufacturer has been aware of the potential side effects for years.

Continue reading " Fleet Phospho Soda Side Effects and Lawsuits " »

YAZ, also known as Yasmin or by its generic name Ocella is a birth control pill originally developed and manufactured by Berlex Laboratories, (a U.S affiliate of Schering AG).

YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) is a combination birth control pill which contain two types of hormones: estrogen and a progestin. It is the only 24/4-day pill with the unique hormone, drospirenone (drsp) and its manufacturer claims that the product provides additional health benefits other then pregnancy prevention.

Continue reading " Yasmin, YAZ, Ocella Birth Control Personal Injuries " »

Fleet Phospho Soda, a laxative product used for varying applications, was the subject of a December 2008 consumer alert from the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration). The alert warned that the use of phosphate-based laxatives such as Fleet Phospho Soda could result in kidney failure, even among individuals who do not have a medical condition that puts them at risk for kidney failure.

Fleet Phospho Soda is available without a prescription, it is a non-prescription laxative. It is widely used to clean the intestines before a colonoscopy and other medical procedures.

The Phospho Soda works by drawing fluid from the rest of the body into the colon; if an individual does not consume enough water or other fluids during Phospho Soda use, he or she may become dehydrated. The individual's level of phosphate salts in the kidneys may also become too high — a development that can result in a type of kidney damage called acute phosphate nephropathy (APN).

Continue reading " Fleet Phospho Soda and Kidney Damage " »

Yaz is a relatively new oral birth control medication. But an unfortunate number of patients have found, Yaz also causes serious, and life-threatening side effects including pulmonary embolism (blood clots to the lung), heart attack and stroke.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. - the drug’s manufacturer - before being regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a recent mandate, marketed Yaz which minimized these very serious side effects, and misleading millions of women about the safety of this medication.

If you’re taking the prescription medication Yaz or Yasmin, also manufactured by Bayer, and have had any of the side effects associated with these compounds, you may be entitled to compensation.

Continue reading " Yaz and Yasmin Linked to Pulmonary Embolism, Heart Attacks and Strokes " »

The state Court of Appeals has overturned a $53 million damage award to the family of an Albuquerque woman who died in a nursing home.

The court ordered a new trial. The daughter of 78-year Barbara Barber filed a lawsuit alleging her mother died in December 2004 of gastrointestinal bleeding that went untreated by the nursing home staff.

In tossing out the jury verdict, the appeals court said a district judge was wrong in a pretrial finding that ManorCare Inc., a Toledo, Ohio-based company, was the employer of the nursing home's staff. The court said there was conflicting evidence on that issue. ManorCare contended that a subsidiary company owned and operated the Albuquerque nursing home, which was sold in 2005.

Continue reading " Court Overturns $53 M Awarded in Wrongful Death Nursing Home Case " »

Reports are now surfacing that women using Yasmin and Yaz birth control pills are developing gallbladder problems. Some women have had to undergo gall bladder removal surgery due to gallstones. Gall bladder disease includes inflammation, infection, stones, or obstruction of the gallbladder. There are two main types of gallbladder disease: cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) and cholelithiasis (gallstones).

We are currently evaluating and representing women who have suffered from gallbladder complications while on Yasmin birth control including gallbladder removal.

Continue reading " Yaz Lawsuits and Gallbladder Problems " »

Recent reports have noted possible dangers of Yasmin/Yaz in persons with some preexisting conditions. Federal lawsuits filed recently allege that since Yasmin and Yaz have been available, there have been over 50 related deaths and hundreds of serious health concerns due to complications with the medicine.

Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits filed allege that Bayer failed to adequately warn about the increased risk of serious heart and health problems associated with their birth control when compared to other available pills. They not only minimized the blood clot risk with Yaz and Yasmin, but also heavily marketing the drugs through deceptive advertisements designed to encourage doctors and patients to use their birth control pill over other available forms that may not present as great of a risk.

Continue reading " Federal Lawsuits: Yasmin/Yaz Responsible for Blood Clots " »

Avandia, an oral medication produced by GlaxoSmithKline, improves control of blood glucose levels in individuals with type-2 diabetes. Despite its ability to make insulin receptors more sensitive, Avandia does have some serious associated risks, as it can increase the chances that patients' develop:

* stroke
* congestive heart failure
* heart attack
* liver toxicity
* severe allergic reactions

Continue reading " Avandia Death Risk and Lawsuits " »

A panel of federal judges will hear arguments later in September to determine whether all federal lawsuits against Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation over serious and potentially life threatening side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control should be centralized and consolidated in one district for coordinated handling as part of an MDL, or Multidistrict Litigation.

According to a notice recently issued by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, a hearing will be held on September 24 to consider whether the cases filed in various federal districts throughout the United States involve sufficiently common questions of fact and whether consolidation is appropriate.

Continue reading " Update on Yaz and Yasmin Side Effect Lawsuits " »

January 2008, Courtney Rohn dashed in for a takeout order at a Homestead restaurant.

A day later the 32-year-old mom died at Homestead Hospital. An autopsy showed that she died of a bacterial infection in the blood.

Now her family has filed suit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against El Toro Taco, in connection with Rohn's takeout order. The lawsuit alleges the bacterial infection was caused from food poisoning and was exacerbated from Rohn having her spleen removed.

Rohn's mother and stepfather, Margaret and Walter Armstrong, are alleging two counts of negligence, two counts of strict liability and violations of The Florida Food Safety Act.

Continue reading " Florida Wrongful Death Lawsuit From Food Poisoning " »

Yasmin was first approved by The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001 for women to use as birth control.

In 2008, the FDA issued Bayer Corp. a warning letter regarding false claims made in two Yaz television commercials. These false claims involved the ability of Yaz to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and all types of acne. As a result, the company stopped running the ads, and later embarked on an advertising campaign that corrected the deceptive claims made in those commercials.

Yasmin has been associated with:

- Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

- Heart Attack

- Stroke

- Death

Continue reading " Yaz and Yasmin Blood Clot Risk " »

New studies point to an increased risk of Paxil birth defects in babies whose mothers use the antidepressant during pregnancy. According to the findings of two studies, women who were taking Paxil during their first trimester were one and a half to two times more likely to have a baby with a heart defect than women who were taking other antidepressants or women of the general population.

A study published in the February 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that maternal use of the antidepressant Paxil increased the risk—by as much as six times—of a birth defect known as persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN.

Babies born with PPHN have difficulty circulating oxygen through their bodies because of constricted blood vessels in the heart and lungs.

Continue reading " Paxil Side Effects and Birth Defects " »

Yasmin and Yaz are two types of birth control oral contraceptive pills manufactured by Bayer Healthcare, and the generic, Ocella, is marketed and distributed by Barr Laboratories, Inc. Yasmin and Yaz contain the same estrogenic compound, ethinyl estradiol, that has been used in oral contraceptive “The Pill” since the 1970s, but the progestin in Yasmin and Yaz is new. Yasmin and Yaz both contain drospirenone, a “fourth generation” progestin – no other birth control oral contraceptive pills contain drospirenone, except for a recently approved generic version, Ocella.

If you have side effects from using these medications you can report them to the FDA.

Continue reading " Yasmin, Yaz, Ocella Side Effects and Lawsuits " »

Doctors should prescribe the birth- control pills that are the least likely to cause blood clots, according to a study of more than 3,000 women published today in the British Medical Journal.

Oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel and a low dose of estrogen, such as Bayer AG’s Microgynon 30, were associated with the lowest risk of blood clots in the leg or lungs, researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands found. Birth-control pills containing desogestrel, cyproterone acetate or drospirenone carried about 1.5 to 2 times the risk of clots, they found.

Continue reading " Researchers Say Women Should Take Safest Birth-Control Pill " »

Yaz prevents ovulation and causes changes in the cervical and uterine lining, making it harder for sperm to reach the uterus and harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus.

Yaz is used as contraception to prevent pregnancy.

Yaz is contraindicated if you are pregnant or if you have any of the following conditions: a history of stroke or blood clot, breast or uterine cancer, abnormal vaginal bleeding, kidney or liver disease, an adrenal gland disorder, severe high blood pressure, migraine headaches, or a history of jaundice caused by birth control pills.

Continue reading " Yaz Information and Side Effects " »

A motion/petition has been filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation by plaintiff attorneys to consolidate and centralize all federal Yasmin and Yaz suits in one court for coordinated pretrial proceedings.

There are currently at least 40 federal court cases pending against Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation involving their Yaz and Yasmin birth control. The lawsuits all contain similar allegations that inadequate warnings were provided that Yaz and Yasmin side effects may increase the risk of potentially life-threatening injuries like heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder disease, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and sudden death.

Continue reading " Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits to be Consolidated in Federal MDL " »

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes.

Also known as "e-cigarettes," electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices designed to look like and be used in the same manner as conventional cigarettes.

Sold online and in many shopping malls, the devices generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

Continue reading " FDA Warns of E-Cigarette Risks " »

A WV Kanawha County woman has filed a lawsuit against the makers of popular weight-loss product Hydroxycut, alleging that they falsely marketed their products as safe and effective dietary supplements.

In a suit filed last week in Kanawha Circuit Court, Rhonda M. Hawkins maintains that Ontario-based Iovate Health Sciences, Inc., and its subsidiaries and related companies defrauded the public by advertising that Hydroxycut products worked and had no adverse health effects.

Continue reading " Hydroxycut Law Suit Filed in WV Against Iovate " »

With thousands of homeowners claiming their houses and health are deteriorating from sulfur-emitting Chinese drywall, a federal judge in New Orleans is intent on fast-tracking a handful of cases for trial, attorneys say.

The first of these bellwether lawsuits could be tried by the end of the year, a timetable that encourages homeowners to think settlement. In contrast, drywall maker and defendant Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin welcomes home inspections and is investigating "practical solutions" but denies any health effects from its drywall.

About 600 tainted Chinese drywall lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation under U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon for pretrial issues. With the help of plaintiff and defense steering committees, Fallon will select five cases to test the waters.

"He is moving extremely fast, which is the right thing because people are living in homes that are toxic to them," said Victor Diaz, a partner at Podhurst Orseck in Miami and a member of the MDL plaintiff steering committee.

Continue reading " Defective Product Chinese Drywall Cases on 'Rocket Docket' " »

More than 100 million women use the oral contraceptive pill worldwide. Many types of pill are available and the choice of which one to use is important to the women who use them and their doctors. Two linked studies assess the risk of venous thromboembolism in women taking the combined oral contraceptive.

All oral contraceptives are effective in preventing pregnancy if they are taken correctly, so the choice of which one to use rests on the profile of side effects.

Venous thromboembolism is one of the most serious side effects, and although it is rare, it can cause death (in about 1-2% of all cases of venous thromboembolism in women taking the pill).

New research suggests that many women do not use the safest available types of oral contraceptives, with many of the most popular birth control pills, such as Yaz and Yasmin, carrying a higher risk of blood clots.

The study, published today in the British Medical Journal, found that oral contraceptives containing desogestrel, cyproterone acetate or drospirenone were up to twice as likely to cause blood clots in women as birth control pills containing levonorgestrel and low doses of estrogen.

The study found that switching to the safer forms of birth control, like Bayer AG’s Microgynon 30 that contains levonorgestrel, reduced health risks while keeping the same level of pregnancy prevention.

Continue reading " New Study: Birth Control Medications and Risk of Blood Clots " »

A hospital patient suffers excruciating pain from what turns out to be a routine complication from elective surgery.

As her condition deteriorates, she and her family plead to see the doctor. But no doctor examines her until the next morning, when she goes into shock, is rushed into intensive care and dies.

Then, after her death, the hospital deletes portions of the woman's medical file in what the woman's family says is an attempt to cover up its horrendous mistakes.

Continue reading " Routine Complication From Surgery Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed " »

Merck & Co., the drugmaker facing 900 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes the death of jawbone tissue, goes to trial tomorrow in a case that may affect all the others.

The trial in New York of the first case of the group, filed by Shirley Boles, 71, will be one of three so-called bellwether cases that may point the way to out-of-court settlements.

Continue reading " Merck Faces First Trial of Claim That Fosamax Attacks Jawbone " »

Hydroxycut is a nutritional supplement manufactured and marketed by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., that claims to help consumers lose weight. "An estimated 15% of the US population uses dietary supplements for weight loss, and Hydroxycut is the top selling product in this class and market, with roughly a million units sold per year."

Its efficacy is considered questionable. On May 1, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning after some Hydroxycut products were linked to liver damage, rhabdomyolysis, and at least one death. The manufacturer then recalled the products.

Continue reading " Hydroxycut Update: Defective Drugs and Lawsuits " »

As investigators with the Consumer Product Safety Commission prepared for a visit to China next week to look into tainted drywall, the federal judge overseeing the massive basket of legal cases reiterated his plan to speed the proceedings along.

In a report to Congress, the federal agency -- leading the investigation into Chinese drywall -- said it had received permission from Chinese officials for the trip, scheduled to begin on Monday.

Meanwhile, Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who plans to begin "bellwether" trials in January, told both sides during a status conference in New Orleans on Tuesday that he expected discovery to begin in a few weeks.

The process will be sped along by the use of "profile forms" rather than traditional interrogatories that can get mired in procedural delays.

Fallon also said he wanted an agreed-upon plan for inspecting and identifying affected homes by Friday. The inspections should determine whether a home had Chinese drywall and, if so, what kind of damage was present, Fallon said.

Continue reading " Speedy Chinese Drywall Litigation Given Thumbs up " »

The University of Utah has settled a lawsuit brought by the families of seven Chinese scholars killed in a 2003 van rollover, cutting short a two-week trial in a Salt Lake City courtroom.

State officials agreed to pay the plaintiffs, who include three men injured in the crash, nearly $500,000, just under a ceiling above which any settlement would require legislative approval. The U.'s offer came Thursday after the victims' widows testified, leaving the jury in tears.

When the U. agreed to host the Chinese delegation in 2002, the school assumed responsibility for arranging the scholars' travel within the U.S., court records indicate. Attorneys for the families alleged the university acted negligently by contracting with an unlicensed travel business in New York, which in turn hired a driver unqualified to pilot the oversized van that plunged off a snow-covered Pennsylvania highway and folded against a tree.

Coupled with a settlement from the van owner's insurer, Friday's settlement means the 10 families split $800,000.

Continue reading " University Settles Lawsuit Brought by Students' Families for $500 K " »

A WV Kanawha County couple say both they and their newborn baby were traumatized permanently when staff at a Charleston hospital informed them the baby died only to later discover he was in fact alive.

Charleston Area Medical Center, Pediatrix Medical Group and Dr. Davangere M. Jayaram are named as co-defendants in medical malpractice suit filed by Carmela and Joseph Newhouse of Elkview. In their complaint filed July 28 in Kanawha Circuit Court, the Newhouses allege Jayaram, and staff from Pediatrix and CAMC misinformed them of the death of their son, Camren, who is now permanently injured after his premature removal from life-support systems.

Continue reading " Hospital Staff Wrongly Declared Infant Dead Malpractice Claim Filed " »

Merck & Co., the drugmaker facing 900 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes the death of jawbone tissue, goes to trial tomorrow in a case that may affect all the others.

The trial in New York of the first case of the group, filed by Shirley Boles, 71, will be one of three so-called bellwether cases that may point the way to out-of-court settlements.

“In mass litigation, all eyes are on the first trial, not only because it shows the strategy of each side, but also because it’s the first information about how jurors respond to the evidence,” said Howard Erichson, a law professor at Fordham University in New York and an expert on civil procedure.

Continue reading " Merck Faces Product Liablity Claim That Fosamax Attacks Jawbone " »

The side effects known to be caused by such prescription drugs as Accutane, Byetta, Chantix, Digitek, Fentanyl patches, Heparin, Nuvaring, Paxil, Levaquin Yaz/Yasmin and Ortho Evra just to name a few, were repeatedly covered up instead of having FDA approval.

If you or someone you know is taking or has taken prescription drugs in the past, and have experienced serious side effects from them, you should report a side effect to the FDA, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Continue reading " Prescription Drugs and Defective Drug Side Effects " »

The various Levaquin antibiotic lawsuits that have been filed in the state of New Jersey due to Levaquin side effects may be consolidated before a single judge. The alleged tendon rupture problems associated with Levaquin medicine and the resulting adverse affects are prompting many plaintiffs towards legal action.

As is the usual feature for class action lawsuits and consolidations, plaintiffs all appear to have similar complaints and allegations with regard to Levaquin (levofloxacin) and the potential for adverse effects involving tendons.

Continue reading " Levaquin Lawsuits and Side Effects " »

Yaz and Yasmin are different from other combination birth control pills because they both contain a new type of progestin hormone known as drsp or drospirenone.

However, drospirenone has diuretic activity that can cause an increase in the user’s potassium levels, which can lead to dangerous health problems and is especially dangerous to users who have pre-existing kidney, liver and adrenal disease.

Continue reading " Yaz Yasmin and Drospirenone Side Effects " »

Yaz birth control increases the risk of pulmonary embolism, a condition in which an artery in the lung (part of the body's pulmonary system) is blocked by a blood clot so the blood cannot get through to the lung.

All combined-hormone contraceptives (including Yaz birth control pills) increase a woman's likelihood of suffering a pulmonary embolism, especially if she uses the contraceptive and:

* smokes
* is over 35
* has a family or personal history of pulmonary embolism

Continue reading " Yaz Side Effects and Pulmonary Embolism " »

A federal appeals court has invalidated Bayer’s patent for the birth control pill Yasmin, allowing Teva Pharmaceuticals to produce the generic version, Ocella, without licensing the drug.

The U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s finding that the use of the progestin drospirenone that led to Yasmin were too obvious a pharmaceutical development for Bayer to patent.

Yasmin is an oral contraceptive that combines drospirenone with the estrogen component ethinyl estriadol to prohibit ovulation. While many birth control pills use ethinyl estriadol in combination with progestins, Yasmin was the first to use drospirenone.

Continue reading " Yasmin Generic Lawsuit Knocks out Bayer's Patent over Birth Control Pill " »

Federal lawsuits have been filed in Ohio and Wisconsin alleging that since Yasmin/Yaz has been available on the market, it has been responsible for over 50 deaths and hundreds of health concerns due to complications with the medicine.

According to medical reports, patients with preexisting conditions such as diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, and several others are at a high risk of dangerous Yasmin side effects.

Yasmin and Yaz are monophasic, combined oral contraceptive pills, developed by Bayer AG. They are a combination of two main chemicals: drospirenone and ethinylestradiol. The complications seem to be a result of the drospirenone; as it is processed in the body, women can experience incresed levels of potassium in their blood over a period of time.

Complications arising from increased potassium levels in the blood include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, blood clots and renal (kidney) complications.

Report Yaz/Yasmin side effects to the FDA.

Continue reading " Yasmin/Yaz Side Effects Caused Several Deaths: Lawsuits filed " »

YAZ (3 mg drospirenone/20 mcg ethinyl estradiol) is an oral contraceptive (OC) which is the first pill to combine 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol (EE) with the so-called "fourth generation" progestin drospirenone (DRSP). YAZ was approved by the FDA in March 2006.

A company press release: "FDA Approves YAZ(R), The First Oral Contraceptive To Offer Drospirenone In A 24-Day, Active-Pill Regimen", issued at the time of FDA approval.

File a report of side effects of YAZ/YASMIN to the FDA here.

Continue reading " Birth Control Pill Yaz and Cardiovascular Side Effects " »

Estrogen Combined With New Progestin Drospirenone (DRSP) Increase Risks Of Serious Side Effects Like Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, And Heart Attack

All hormonal birth control options are associated with health risks. The oral contraceptive pills YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella are associated with a possible higher rate of blood clots. Blood clots can cause serious side effects from YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella – namely, stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

A blood clot which begins in one part of the body can become a thromboembolism – essentially a blood clot that moves. A clot which moves into the lungs, heart, or brain is a very serious condition which can be fatal, and result in death.

Deep vein thrombosis, DVT, is a blood clot which most commonly forms in the leg. A pulmonary embolism, PE is a dangerous condition in which a clot forms in or has moved into the lungs. When a clot reaches the heart it can cause a heart attack, and clots in the brain can lead to strokes.

There are three possible reasons, or ways, that YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella are suspected to increase a woman’s risk for thrombosis and thromboembolism: estrogen / progestin combination; DRSP’s link to hyperkalemia; and, DRSP’s diuretic effect.

Continue reading " YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella Pills Cause a Higher Rate of Blood Clots " »

There is a mounting number of lawsuits being filed against Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, and the plaintiff’s attorneys across the United States are calling this the latest mass tort. The product liability and personal injury lawsuits against the major pharmaceutical company all allege serious injuries and in some cases death is caused by the fourth generation oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin.

While the two birth control pills are not exactly the same, they are very similar. They both contain the novel progestin component, drospirenone, which is a diuretic that has the potential to significantly increase a risk of increased potassium levels which can lead to both gallbladder damage and blood clots.

Continue reading " Yaz/Yasmin Side Effects Leads to Mass Tort Lawsuits " »

A Texas law firm is targeting generic drug giant Mylan Inc., along with other pharmaceutical companies, in product liability lawsuits related to the manufacture of pain patches.

The lawsuits involve the powerful painkiller fentanyl, which is applied to the skin in a patch for the slow release of the medication. In the Mylan lawsuits, the plaintiffs attribute 28 deaths to the patches.

Mylan makes the patches at its plant in St. Albans, Vt., which is operated by Mylan subsidiary Mylan Technologies Inc.

“We think there was a manufacturer defect,” according to the plaintiffs' attorney. “What we don’t know is the exact nature of the defect.”

Mylan has denied liability in court filings.

Continue reading " Mylan Faces Several Product Liability Lawsuits Over Fentanyl Pain Patches " »

A new report blasts the Texas agency that oversees dentists and hygienists, finding that its databases are replete with sloppy errors, that information reported to the public is flawed and that its new $118,000 enforcement system is "not fully functional or reliable."

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners plans to buy a new automated system for $644,000 to address some of the problems found in the audit released this week.

A skeptical-sounding report by the State Auditor’s Office noted that "Given the difficulties the agency has had in the past in designing, implementing, and maintaining automated systems, it will be imperative that the agency use a systematic process for installing, customizing, testing, and implementing the new system to ensure that the existing problems do not occur in the new system."

Continue reading " Report: Texas Dental Board is Full of Errors According to Audit " »

Yaz, is manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and there are at least 32 federal court cases pending against Bayer regarding their contraceptive pill and the side effects.

There are serious side effects that include:

* Blood clots in the legs – Oral contraceptives have warned of the potential for blood clots for years, but it has been alleged that Yaz causes deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can lead to a pulmonary embolism (PE).
* Pulmonary embolism (PE) – These are caused by the DVT leg blood clots breaking off and lodging in the lungs.
* Heart attack – These are probably caused by blood clots in the coronary arteries.
* Stroke – These are caused by the DVT leg blood clots breaking off and lodging in the brain.
* Liver damage – Liver damage has also been associated with Yaz.

Continue reading " Defective Drug: Yaz/Yasmin Side Effects Includes Pulmonary Embolism " »

A Florida jury found the Pasco County school district negligent in a 2006 crash that severely injured a 16-year-old boy.

The jury awarded Marcus Button, now 19, and his parents, Robin and Mark Button, $1.625 M in damages, which his mother has said she will use to pay for his continuing medical care.

Continue reading " Jury Awards $1.6 M in Pasco Florida School Bus Crash " »

An expert panel reported that two more diseases may be linked to exposure to Agent Orange, a defoliant used by the American military during the Vietnam War.

People exposed to the chemical appear, at least tentatively, to be more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease, according to the report. The report was written by a 14-member committee charged by the Institute of Medicine with determining whether certain medical conditions were caused by exposure to herbicides used to clear stretches of jungle.

The results, though not conclusive, are an important first step for veterans groups working to get the government to help pay for treatment of illnesses they believe have roots on the battlefield. Some other conditions linked to Agent Orange already qualify.

Continue reading " Parkinson Disease and Heart Disease linked to Agent Orange " »

It is common in defective drugs claims, when a large group of people file lawsuits against a drug maker to have similar allegations that an injury was caused by a side effect of a particular drug.

The plaintiffs are seeking to consolidate all Yasmin and Yaz birth control lawsuits in an MDL, or Multidistrict Litigation, where the individual cases would be assigned to one judge and handled in a manner similar to how a Yasmin / Yaz class action lawsuit would be managed during pretrial litigation.

The Yaz / Yasmin lawyers are reviewing potential lawsuits involving serious and life-threatening injuries caused by these popular birth control pills, and support the formation of an MDL, as it will benefit the women who have experienced Yasmin / Yaz problems.

The motion was filed in July with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation asking that an MDL be formed for the Yasmin / Yaz litigation, and that all of the cases filed in different federal district courts throughout the United States be transferred to the Northern District of Ohio for coordinated handling.

Continue reading " Yasmin / Yaz Defective Drug Lawsuit Consolidation " »

A district court jury in Hidalgo County has awarded $1,702,709 to a nurse who blamed her employer for the injuries she sustained in a hit-and-run collision.

On April 13, 2005, Andrea Davilla was driving on Chihuahua Road in Penitas on her way to a patient appointment when she was struck head-on by another vehicle, which fled from the scene.

Davilla fractured her pelvis and left leg, arm and ankle, and also needed hip replacement surgery. She hasn't worked since the incident, and it's unlikely she will ever be able to return to nursing.

Davilla sued her employer, Americare Nursing Services, and its owner, Martha Arango, alleging her work schedule was such that she had to drive a dangerous route frequented by drug and human traffickers to get to her appointments. She said Americare refused to change her schedule despite her requests.

Continue reading " Employer Must Pay $1.7 Million to Nurse Hurt in Hit-and-Run " »

A $1.8 million medical malpractice claim was paid last week following a jury's verdict in late June that a doctor misdiagnosed a 25-year-old woman's heart condition — causing her to need a heart transplant.

In a trial in Newport News Circuit Court, a jury awarded to Leslie Thorne a $4 million verdict against Dr. David Glick, who works for a group of emergency room doctors who once provided services at Mary Immaculate Hospital.

The judgment was later reduced to $1.8 million because of caps on medical damages in Virginia, said William E. Artz, Thorne's Arlington attorney. An insurance firm paid the claim, he said.

Thorne initially sued three doctors — Glick, as well as William Hunter and Andrew B. Cole, both of Peninsula Emergency Physicians — claiming they were all negligent.

Continue reading " $1.8 M Judgment in Wrong Diagnosis Medical Malpractice Claim " »

In the swath of Kentucky called the Land Between The Lakes, the Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle Area is a rugged expanse of hills and woodlands crisscrossed by 100 miles of trails. Test drivers came here in July, 2002, to try out the Yamaha Rhino, a new breed of off-road vehicle then in development, and had a mishap that would resonate years later.

Keisuke "Casey" Yoshida, president of a U.S. subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., was behind the wheel of a Rhino prototype. Ike Miyachi, a company vice president in charge of Rhino development, rode beside him in the passenger seat. After descending a long hill to flat ground, the Rhino tipped over, giving Miyachi a foot injury.

At a meeting weeks later, Yoshida raised a question that now seems prophetic. "Casey wants update on instability of vehicle for future liability cases," according to minutes obtained by CBS News.

Continue reading " CBS News Investigation Finds 59 Deaths, Hundreds Of Injuries Linked To Yamaha's Off-Road Vehicle " »

Pfizer Inc.’s Warner-Lambert unit created a list of 13 ailments that its epilepsy medicine Neurontin could treat as part of its promotion of the drug for unapproved uses, a former employee testified.

“I was trained from day one” to market the drug illegally, David Franklin testified. Franklin, who worked as a medical liaison at the Parke-Davis division of Warner-Lambert, said he encouraged doctors to prescribe Neurontin for uses beyond those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“My job was to promote Neurontin and motivate doctors to experiment” on patients, he said today in federal court in Boston. After being hired as a medical liaison, “I was selling drugs,” he said. The uses promoted were from the “snake-oil list” of 13 medical conditions, said Franklin, a microbiologist.

Continue reading " Defective Drugs: Neurontin Lawsuits and Suicide " »

Federal regulators on Tuesday added stronger warnings to a group of best-selling drugs used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, saying they can increase the risk of cancer in children and adolescents.

After more than a year of review, Food and Drug Administration scientists said the drugs appear to increase the risk of cancer after they are used beyond 2 1/2 years. The agency studied several dozen reports of cancer in children taking the drugs, some of which were fatal. Half of the cases were lymphomas, a cancer that attacks the immune system.

The drugs are known as tumor necrosis factor blockers and work by neutralizing a protein that, when overproduced, causes inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and other tissue. The drugs are prescribed to children with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorder and Crohn's disease.

Continue reading " FDA: Arthritis Drugs Linked to Cancer Risk in children " »

Four Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have been filed in Pennsylvania state court against Bayer, claiming that the company failed to warn consumers that the birth control pills increase the risk of a variety of cardiovascular health problems.

The complaints were filed on July 29 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of plaintiffs Rae Anne Bailor, Felicia R. Hill, and couples Erin and Daniel Shae, and Heather and Chris Karabin. The plaintiffs allege that they suffered a variety of ailments after taking the birth control pills, including pulmonary embolisms and health complications that required gallbladder removal for two of the plaintiffs.

Continue reading " Yaz and Yasmin and Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Side Effects " »

Merck & Co., facing more than 850 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax may cause irreversible “jaw rot,” won’t face punitive damages in the first trial, a federal judge said.

U.S. District Judge John Keenan said at a hearing today in New York that he’ll release a decision as early as July 31 knocking out the possibility of punitive damages in the case. He’ll deny Merck’s request to rule in its favor on liability, which means the case will go to trial Aug. 11, he said.

Keenan has scheduled three so-called bellwether trials through January to show each side the other’s strategy and possibly point the way to settlements. The judge earlier denied the plaintiffs’ request to treat the litigation as a class, or group, lawsuit allowing them to ask for court-ordered medical monitoring of all Fosamax users.

Continue reading " No Punitive Damages Against Merck in Fosamax Trial " »

Two West Texas nurses have been fired from their jobs and indicted with a third-degree felony carrying potential penalties of two-to-ten years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000.

The nurses, in their 50s and both members of the American Nurses Association/Texas Nurses Association, reported concerns about a doctor practicing at Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Kermit.

They alleged that the doctor improperly encouraging patients in the hospital emergency department and in the rural health clinic to buy his own herbal "medicines," and they thought it improper for him to take hospital supplies to perform a procedure at a patient's home rather than in the hospital.

Read an earlier post.http://www.bne.state.tx.us/

Continue reading " Update: Retaliation Against West Texas Nurses for Whistle Blower Complaint " »

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday released an analysis of 19 varieties of electronic cigarettes that said half contained nitrosamines (the same carcinogen found in real cigarettes) and many contained diethylene glycol, the poisonous ingredient in antifreeze. Some that claimed to have no nicotine were found to have low levels of the drug.

E-cigarettes are promoted by their manufacturers as safer than traditional cigarettes because they do not burn tobacco. Instead, a lithium battery in the cigarette-shaped device heats a solution of nicotine in propylene glycol, producing a fine mist that can be inhaled to deliver nicotine directly to the lungs.

Continue reading " Carcinogens and Poisons Found in Electronic Cigarettes " »

After her family dropped its lawsuit in the midst of trial, Pfizer Inc. won’t face a lawsuit over claims its epilepsy drug Neurontin helped lead a Massachusetts woman to commit suicide,

Susan Bulger’s family agreed to dismiss the suit after an anonymous donor offered to put money in a trust for her 10-year- old daughter, Regina, said Mark Lanier, the family’s lawyer. The trial began July 27 and was scheduled to run three weeks in federal court in Boston.

The suit was the first of about 1,200 involving Neurontin. The family claimed Pfizer, the world’s largest drug company, promoted the medication for unapproved uses and didn’t warn it could increase the risk of suicide until forced to do so by the government. Pfizer said Bulger had a history of drug abuse and had made six suicide attempts before taking her life in 2004.

Continue reading " Neurontin Pfizer Product Liability Lawsuit Dropped " »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs that a Boxed Warning in the product labeling concerning the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture is necessary.

FDA agrees to Public Citizen's request to issue a "black box" warning in the product label and a guide for patients warning of the dangers of tendinitis and tendon rupture with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, but fails to send a letter to doctors warning of these dangers.

The medications involved in this action are: Cipro and generic ciprofloxacin, Cipro XR and Proquin XR (ciprofloxacin extended release), Factive (gemifloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin), Noroxin (norfloxacin), and Floxin and generic ofloxacin.

Through its new authority under the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA), the agency also determined that it is necessary for manufacturers of the drugs to provide a Medication Guide to patients about possible side effects.

Continue reading " Defective Drugs: Levaquin Lawsuits and Tendon Rupture " »

NJOY, the electronic cigarette brand based in Scottsdale, will continue to market the tobacco-less devices despite a warning from the Food and Drug Administration that it could pose health risks.

Public health officials said last week that electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," may not be such a healthy alternative to traditional cigarettes.

The FDA tested NJOY and another brand. Results showed some of the samples in both brands contained human carcinogens and tobacco impurities suspected of being harmful to humans.

Continue reading " FDA Warning: NJOY Firm Continues to Sell E-Cigarettes " »

The drug Metoclopramide (brand name Reglan, Octamide, Maxolon ) which is used to treat some gastrointestinal disorders such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), diabetic gastroparesis and nausea has been linked to the serious neurological movement disorder known as tardive dyskinesia.

On February 26, 2009 the FDA issued an alert warning against chronic use of metoclopramide containing drugs and requiring a boxed warning.

Reglan side effects of tardive dyskinesia and drug induced movement disorders are characterized by rarely reversible symptoms that include random movements in the tongue, lips or jaw as well as facial grimacing, movements of arms, legs, fingers and toes along with swaying movements of the trunk or hip.

Continue reading " Defective Drugs: Reglan Lawsuits and Tardive Dyskinesia " »

A paralyzed father of three plans to move from a nursing facility back home with his family after winning a $19.2 million negligence award against Montefiore Medical Center earlier this month.

Wilfredo Figueroa, 58, was working as a radiology technician on Sept. 22, 2004, when he was admitted to Montefiore, complaining of severe back pain.

The Bronx hospital's staff failed to diagnose a spinal abscess- an infection on his spinal cord - which rapidly led to his permanent paralysis, according to lawyer Edward Bithorn and court documents.

Continue reading " Montefiore Hospital to pay $19.2 M for Medical Malpractice " »

The asbestos lawsuits filed in the United States over the past fifty years constitute the longest running mass tort in the country’s history. A tort is defined as a civil action taken based on a negligent or intentional harm done that is not based on contract law.

A Rand Corporation research says that by the end of 2002, about 730,000 individuals claiming physical harm from asbestos exposure had filed suit against about 8,400 corporations and businesses. At that point, about seventy corporations had filed for bankruptcy protection over their asbestos liability.

Today, in 2009 the number of bankruptcy filings has reached one hundred. The number of lawsuits since 2002 are several hundred thousand in number and they have increased each year. Because the diseases caused by asbestos exposure have latency periods of up to fifty years, many people who were exposed to asbestos decades ago are just now getting sick.

Continue reading " Arlington Texas Asbestos Litigation " »

The central figure of an investigation into the hepatitis C outbreak might have been impaired by a stroke a year ago, but he is competent enough to face medical malpractice charges, according to the state Board of Medical Examiners.

Based on results from an examination performed by Dr. Thomas Kinsora, a clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Dipak Desai is "borderline" in regards to his ability to assist defense attorneys in his medical board licensing hearing.

Continue reading " Hepatitis C Medical Malpractice Claims Can Proceed " »

An $11 million settlement has been reached between a suburban hospital and the family of a Chicago girl, now 4, whose birth injuries were so profound she can't speak, walk or even eat.

Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood agreed to the payout this week, something Stacie Burek said will ensure her daughter receives the medical help necessary to deal with her severe cerebral palsy, a condition that has left the girl in a wheelchair with a feeding tube through her stomach.

Continue reading " $11 M Medical Malpractice Cerebral Palsy Settlement " »

Yasmin and Yaz are birth control pills manufactured by Bayer Healthcare. The generic brand Ocella is marketed and distributed by Barr Laboratories, Inc. Yasmin and Yaz contain the same estrogenic compound, ethinyl estradiol, that has been used in the Pill since the 1970s, but the progestin in Yasmin and Yaz is new.

Yasmin and Yaz both contain drospirenone, a "fourth generation" progestin. No other birth control pills contain drospirenone, except for a recently approved generic version of Yasmin and Yaz, called Ocella.

Continue reading " Defective Drugs: Yaz and Yasmin Birth Control Lawsuits and Increased Risk of Strokes " »

Three years ago, James Becker was doing what many vigorous 15-year-old boys do - playing baseball, basketball and soccer.

Now he is severely disabled, must use a wheelchair and is under the constant care of his mother.

The accident that reduced James to such circumstances occurred at the Woodcroft Swim Club in Parkville on July 29, 2006, when, his family's lawyer says, he almost drowned. His brain was apparently deprived of adequate oxygen for about 10 minutes.

His parents, William J. Becker III and Mary Becker, have filed a $40 million lawsuit in Baltimore County Circuit Court against the swim club and the company that runs it, D.R.D. Pool Management Inc., accusing them of failing to both "timely recognize and respond" to the struggling boy and to properly perform resuscitation efforts.

Continue reading " Swim Club Lawsuit for Brain Damage Caused by Drowning " »