Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

As a Fort Worth Car Accident and Truck Accident attorney, I am reporting this tragic accident that lead to a wrongful death of the truck driver, from a tanker gasoline explosion. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Raya family.

Fort Worth police have arrested and charged Louis Nieves, 23, with intoxication manslaughter after a fiery traffic accident early in the morning that killed the driver of a fuel tanker truck and shut down the freeway most of the day.

Nieves was the driver of a small red pickup truck. Police reported he was driving the wrong way on Interstate 30 when he slammed into the oncoming 18-wheeler near the Beach Street exit at 2:37 a.m.

The freeway was shut down and traffic was backed up through downtown Fort Worth after the deadly wrong-way crash. The tanker exploded after impact, killing its driver. The truck was so badly burned that the flames destroyed the tanker and damaged the surface of the freeway.

The red pickup showed significant front end damage, but did not catch on fire. Emergency crews rushed Nieves to a nearby hospital. He was treated at the hospital, released and booked into the Fort Worth jail. Officers said several people called 911 to report the wrong-way driver.

The other two lanes remain badly damaged and must undergo extensive repairs. TxDOT said the road must be resurfaced and, underneath, steel beams and the concrete support system that burned must also be replaced.

The tanker was so badly burned, there is no obvious way to determine who owns it or even to whom it was registered.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has opened an investigation into where a 23-year-old pickup driver was drinking before he was involved in a fiery crash.

Louis Nieves, 23, who was arrested after the wreck, told a reporter for WFAA/Channel 8 TV that he had drunk 10 beers before getting behind the wheel and leaving a bar on East Eighth Street near the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Family and friends identified the tanker driver as 45-year-old Alejandro Raya of Fort Worth.

The beverage commission is investigating but won't identify the business until the investigation is further along.

Nieves, who faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter, remained in the Mansfield Jail with bail set at $90,000, according to Fort Worth police.

Alejandro Raya left a wife and three children, ages 21, 14 and 12. Alejandro Raya moved to the United States from Mexico in the 1980s. Raya was working for Petro-Chemical Transport, based in Addison, according to a company spokeswoman. Gasoline fuel that spilled from the tanker ignited, melting steel beams and concrete in the I-30 bridge over Sycamore Creek.

Continue reading " Fort Worth Truck Explosion Accident Wrongful Death " »

Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure

This article is one in a series of articles that I am writing as a Dallas Mesothelioma Attorney to educate folks about the man made toxins in the environment. Mesothelioma is called a “signature” disease—which indicates that the person was exposed to the causative agent. If someone has mesothelioma, they were almost certainly exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma rates continue to climb and by some estimates is set to peak around 2012-2015. Asbestos has been placed in many buildings as a fire retardant and insulator and now because of the long latency period, many contractors, pipe fitters and plumbers are coming down with the disease, some including folks who had exposure as long as 30-40 years ago. What a national tragedy.

Lung cancer, is a multi-factorial disease—Environmental factors are important in lung cancer causation. Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs.

There are two main types of lung cancer:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer.
Small cell lung cancer makes up about 20% of all lung cancer cases. If the lung cancer is made up of both types, it is called mixed small cell/large cell cancer.

If the cancer started somewhere else in the body and spread to the lungs, it is called metastatic cancer to the lung.

The most important environmental factor is smoking. Asbestos exposure is important risk for development of lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos increases your risk of developing cancer—by an average of five times the risk of a non-smoker who was not exposed to asbestos.

Smoking makes a person ten times more likely to develop lung cancer. But for someone who smokes and was also exposed to asbestos, the risk of developing lung cancer is 50 times higher.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has included construction workers (including plumbers, electricians, painters and other construction-related trades), demolition workers, shipyard workers, firefighters and automobile mechanics among those at risk for dangerous asbestos exposures.

See NCI Asbestos Fact Sheet.

Continue reading " Mesothelioma And Asbestos Update " »

As a Fosamax Femur Fracture attorney, I am providing this update regarding Merck's application for an MDL.

Merck has filed a petition for MDL (multidistrict litigation) to consolidate and centralize all federal Fosamax bone fracture lawsuits for handling during pretrial litigation.

More than 900 Fosamax lawsuits against Merck have already been consolidated as part of an MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; those involved claims that Fosamax caused jaw injury, known as osteonecrosis. There are now Fosamax suits filed by folks who have suffered a femur fracture or other bone fracture after taking the osteoporosis drug.

On March 23, Merck asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to create a new MDL for this type of injuries caused by Fosamax, where plaintiffs claim that long-term use of Fosamax increases the risk of low-trauma or no-trauma fractures, involving the femur or thigh bone.

The FDA added warnings about the risk of bone fractures from Fosamax and other bisphosphonate medications in October 2010, requiring drug makers to warn consumers that they should seek immediate medical attention if they experience new groin pain or thigh pain while taking the drug, which can occur weeks or months before a complete fracture of the femur on Fosamax occurs.

More than 100 people have filed a Fosamax bone fracture lawsuit, alleging that Merck failed to adequately research their medication or provide adequate warnings before they suffered a femur fracture or bone break. The claims are contained in 36 complaints that have been filed in at least 8 different federal district courts throughout the United States.

Merck has asked the U.S. Judicial Panel to centralize and consolidate the Fosamax bone fracture litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, where most of the cases are currently pending and where the drug maker has its headquarters. In the alternative, Merck requested that the Panel transfer the cases to the U.S. District for the Western District of Louisiana.

Bone fracture lawsuits were excluded from the prior Fosamax MDL, which was established in August 2006 for claims filed by individuals who suffered decay of the jaw bone from Fosamax.

A popular osteoporosis drug, Fosamax® and its generic form Alendronate®, is implicated to cause spontaneous fractures.

Fosamax® is a drug used to strengthen bones, for many women it has worked successfully but according to medical reports, women who have taken the drug for five years are at risk of suffering spontaneous fractures.

Doctors are seeing many femurs fractured in patients who have been on the drug. If you have taken Fosamax® or its generic form Alendronate® and believe to have been injured as a result, please fill out the form below to contact a Case Manager.

Continue reading " Fosamax Femur Fracture MDL Lawsuits " »

As a Dallas Personal Injury Wrongful Death Attorney I am outraged and saddened at this tragic Cleburne school bullying death case.

Now I known and have witnessed first hand bullying in school and in colleges. And as we can see bullying exerts a tremendous toll on the psychological and physical well being of our youth. For too long the teachers and the school personnel with whom we entrust our kids, have a "I don't care attitude." They have to do a better job.

In Texas most teachers and principals have a "don't give a damn attitude" because of sovereign immunity under the Texas Tort Claim Act.

Hopefully this attitude will be majorly adjusted once the school districts have to shell out large significant money damages and which hits them in their pocket book. Charging individuals, such as teachers, principals and district superintendents would be significant to school bullying cases because it might change behavior. This is unfortunately the only language negligent people understand. My condolences and prayers are with the Carmichael family, and I hope they are successful in their case.

A federal lawsuit filed in Dallas alleges the Joshua school district and several school officials of violating the civil rights of 13-year-old Jon Carmichael by ignoring repeated acts of bullying against him.

The suit was filed by Carmichael's parents and seeks damages and compensation for his estate and heirs.

The lawsuit alleges school employees failed to intervene when he was bullied in physical education class and when he was thrown into a dumpster. In another incident, students saw that his head was placed upside down in a toilet and "flushed several times."

"Just prior to his death, he was stripped nude, tied up and again placed into a trashcan," according to the lawsuit. "The event was videotaped, put on YouTube but was later taken down."

According to Martin Cirkiel of Round Rock, Carmichael's attorney, the school personnel knew about many of the bullying incidents, then ignored or covered up other ones they didn't see firsthand.

The lawsuit also accuses school staff members of telling a student who had a video of the assault to destroy it and says Carmichael's personal journal has been "knowingly destroyed, withheld or purposefully hidden by staff, as well."

Carmichael hanged himself in a barn near his family home in Cleburne. He was the second Johnson County teenager to kill himself in six months. In both cases, families attributed the deaths partially to bullying. In October 2009, Hunter Layland, a 15-year-old freshman at Cleburne High School, shot himself.

Joshua school policy requires principals or appointees to investigate reports of bullying within 10 days. But the lawsuit says those policies weren't followed as "school district personnel clearly had an actual practice and custom of looking the other way."

Continue reading " Texas Joshua School District Sued For Bullying Wrongful Death " »

As a Dallas Sex Abuse Personal Injury Attorney, I am glad to report this sex abuse case with a good outcome.

What is the world coming to, when you cannot even go to a local burger joint with your kids?

A settlement has been reached in a suit filed against a Florida McDonald's after an employee exposed himself to a young female customer inside the restaurant. A sex offender with an extensive criminal history — including repeated arrests on suspicion of exposing himself — was arrested after he was caught touching himself in front of a girl inside a Seminole County McDonald's where he was working.

The incident eventually led to a guilty conviction for Robert Jonathan Walyus, and the victim's filing a lawsuit against him, McDonald's Corp. and the local-franchise owner.

The lawsuit claimed proper hiring supervision rules were not in place, allowing the restaurant to hire a sex offender with an extensive criminal history.

The suit claimed the incident caused the young girl to have anxiety attacks and an inability to main normal relationships with males. The terms of the settlement were undisclosed.

Continue reading " McDonald's Employee Sex Exposure Suit Settled " »

As a Texas Darvocet and Darvon Recall Attorney, I am providing this update regarding the request for consolidation of the litigation in federal court.

This week, a panel of federal judges will hear arguments to consolidate a growing number of Darvocet and Darvon lawsuits that have been filed over cardiac sudden death problems allegedly caused by these medications.

Plaintiffs first requested the consolidation in December, now some Darvocet lawyers expect that thousands are cases are likely to be filed by victims diagnosed with a heart arrythmia or sudden heart-related death from side effects of the medication.

In December, plaintiff Kristine Esposito, filed a Motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation seeking to have the Darvon and Darvocet litigation centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Other plaintiffs have filed documents known as briefs, requesting that the cases be consolidated in either the Eastern District of Louisiana or Western District of Louisiana.

The plaintiffs want to have the cases consolidated in one court, since all of the Darvon and Darvocet suits contain similar allegations that the manufacturer failed to adequately research the side effects of Darvocet and Darvon and failed to warn doctors and patients that propoxyphene-based drugs caused heart rhythm problems.

These type of consolidation is similar to class actions, and are known as an MDL, or multidistrict litigation.This type of centralization is usual in complex product liability claims involving a large number of lawsuits over injuries associated with a particular product. The process is designed to avoid duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent rulings by different judges and to promote the efficient litigation, both in time and cost.

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the name-brand versions of Darvon and Darvocet, has opposed consolidation of the litigation.

If the MDL Panel grants consolidation and determines that is appropriate in the litigation over Darvocet and Darvon, Xanodyne will argue that the cases should be centralized in the Eastern District of Kentucky. Xanodyne, the drug maker is headquartered in Kentucky.

Continue reading " Darvocet, Darvon, and Propoxyphene Wrongful Death Consolidation " »

As a Texas Topamax Dangerous Drug attorney, I am providing this latest FDA warning regarding Topamax.

This latest announcement by the FDA (see below) is particularly worrisome, as it demonstrates the teratogenic side effects of Topamax and the generic versions of this commonly utilized drug.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about Topamax (topiramate), an anticonvulsant medication which is used in the prevention of migraine headaches and epileptic seizures. New medical study shows that Topamax and its generic versions increases the rate of cleft lip and cleft palate deformities if taken by women who are pregnant.

Cleft lip and cleft palate deformities are holes in the roof of the mouth that result from improper fusing of the lip and the palate during fetal development during pregnancy. The mouth birth defects can cause problems with eating and talking if not treated with surgery.

Product labeling for Topamax cautions about the risk of birth defects associated with the medication, but the warning label will now be revised to include stronger language that there is "positive evidence of human fetal risk based on human data."

Cleft lip and palate is very treatable; however, the kind of treatment depends on the type and severity of the cleft.

Most children with a form of clefting are monitored by a cleft palate team or craniofacial team through young adulthood. Treatment procedures can vary between craniofacial teams. For example, some teams wait on jaw correction until the child is aged 10 to 12 (argument: growth is less influential as deciduous teeth are replaced by permanent teeth, thus saving the child from repeated corrective surgeries), while other teams correct the jaw earlier (argument: less speech therapy is needed than at a later age when speech therapy becomes harder).

Still prevention is better than the cure, so best avoid the use of Topamax during pregnancy or if cannot, then use contraceptive devices.

Continue reading " Topamax Seizure Drug Causes Birth Defects " »

As a Dallas Wrongful Death attorney, I am providing this lawsuit article from Cleveland.

The family of a Cleveland man who was gunned down in 2009 during a robbery at a local bar have filed a lawsuit against the building owners and the security company.

The wrongful death suit claims local security officers did nothing to stop a group of men from attempting to rob Jeremy Pechanec and eventually executing him and a friend in a park across from the bar.

None of the bar's security cameras were on, the suit claims, and bar tenders continued to serve the men even as they began to harass Pechanec. The wrongful death lawsuit is seeking more than $100,000 in damages.

What is a Wrongful Death Lawsuit? Dallas Wrongful Death Attorney explains
A wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the victim was killed as a result of negligence on the part of the person or business entity being sued, and that the victim’s survivors are entitled to monetary damages as a result of the negligent act and improper conduct.

This type of legal civil claim is different from a normal negligence lawsuit, which is filed by the person injured for the resultant damages. Originally under “common law” (the general legal principles or judge made law, passed from England to the United States over many years), a wrongful death claim did not exist based upon the legal reasoning that the claim died or was extinguished with the victim where there was no way to compensate him for damages. The surviving family members then could not claim damages from the person who caused the victim's death. This was an injustice for the dead victim's family and a legal loop hole.

Read more here.

Continue reading " Wrongful Death Suit Filed After Man Murdered Outside of Bar " »

Dallas Topamax Cleft Palate Cleft Lip Attorney warns about the side effects of Topamax during pregnancy.

As I have previously reported, the FDA has required the makers of Topamax and generic topiramate to update their warning label regarding use of the Topamax drug during pregnancy. The usage of Topamax during pregnancy, can cause children to be born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. And shockingly enough, it appears that this particular birth defect information has been available for years and that Topamax birth defect side effects may cause malformations. Folks, the manufacturers have failed to adequately research their medication or warn consumers and doctors.

The medical journal Neurology, in July 2008, reported that pregnant women who received Topamax for epilepsy treatment, faced an increased incidence of babies with birth defects or congenital malformations. Topamax use during pregnancy was linked to babies born with cleft lip or cleft palate at a rate 11 times higher than would be expected in the general population and babies born with genital defects at a rate 14 times higher than would be expected.

Apparently this research and other post-marketing data was available to the Topamax manufacturers, and they failed to warn women about the risks of pregnancy and Topamax. If proper warnings was provided, these women could have chosen to take a different drug or taken contraception to ensure they did not become pregnant while on Topamax.

According to reports made to the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, the prevalence of oral clefts in children born to mothers who used Topamax while pregnant was 20 times higher than among women who did not take any antiepiletic drug. When compared to other epilepsy drugs, the prevalence of birth defects was still 2-3 times greater with Topamax pregnancy use.

Because of the drug makers’ decision not to disclose this important information, there are many children who have experienced birth defect problems. Compensation may be available through a Topamax cleft palate or Topamax lip lawsuit for children who were exposed to the drug before they were born.

Continue reading " Topamax & Topiramate Usage Can Cause Birth Defects " »

As a Dallas Slip and Fall Attorney, I would like provide a quick explanation and an update of Texas Slip and Fall law.

A slip and fall accident is a type of personal injury claim that occurs when a person slips and falls on another person’s property. It is based on the breach of duty that the owner of the property was negligent in failing to correct the dangerous condition that caused the slip and fall.

If you were in a public place or a private residence in Texas and hurt yourself due to a slip and fall, you may file a slip and fall lawsuit. But if the accident was your fault, or there is some other intervening circumstance that does not satisfy the slip and fall lawsuit requirement, you can expect that it would get dismissed.

You have to prove negligence on the part of the company or private citizen at whose Texas property the slip and fall injury took place. A classic example would be a wet floor. We are all familiar with businesses that mop their floors and put out bright yellow or orange caution signs and/or cones to warn people that the area is wet and not to cross it. If these signs are clearly posted and you cross into the slippery area anyway, the business has a good chance of not being liable for the fall.

The term Premises Liability is used when assigning responsibility for injuries caused by the defective design or maintenance of property, including private homes, public buildings, and anywhere a person would have a reasonable expectation of safety.

"Negligence" means failure to use ordinary care to provide a safe place and to reduce or eliminate an unreasonable risk of harm created by the condition or use of a place, equipment or procedures.

Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe. To hold the property owner responsible, one of the following three conditions must apply to the incident:

1. The owner of the property, or one of their employees, caused the worn or torn spot, the spill or the dangerous surface that resulted in the slip and fall.
2. The property owner knew about the dangerous condition but didn’t do anything about it.
3. The owner of the property should have known about the dangerous condition because a reasonable person tending to a piece of property would have detected the problem and taken steps to correct it.

To read more, click here.

Continue reading " Slip and Fall Premises Liability Update " »

As a Fort Worth Medical Practice Attorney, I want to share this Texas Medical Board bulletin, regarding a Denton, Texas doctor's fitness to practice medicine. A Denton County doctor who is quoted saying he does "what is best for the patient" is now considered "a continuing threat to the public welfare."

Medical Board Suspends License of Denton Physician
On March 14, 2011, a disciplinary panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended, with notice, the medical license of Ramon A. Cruz, M.D., of Denton, after determining that Dr. Cruz's continuation in the practice of medicine constitutes a continuing threat to the public welfare.

The panel found that Dr. Cruz, Lic. No. K3703, engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with several patients. Four incidents, including an alleged sexual assault, were reported by patients to Denton Police. Patients reported four incidents to Denton police, including one alleged sexual assault.

His accusers say he used "aggressive behavior" toward them dating back to 2008, but no action was taken until this week. Documents reveal one patient accused Cruz of putting "his hand down the front of her pajama pants." Another patient alleges the doctor was "grabbing her from behind and putting his hand under her shirt."

Since the suspension, four additional women contacted police saying they also were victims of Dr Cruz, who touched them sexually and made inappropriate remarks, according to police reports.

One woman described three occasions when she either was in his office or in a hospital room. She said on one occasion she was hospitalized and drowsy on pain medication when he came into the room, lifted the sheet to look at her body and then leaned over and kissed her, according to the police report.

Another woman reported to police that he kissed her and made sexual comments to her during two visits to his office in September 2009.

A third woman said that during 2003 and 2004, when she was his patient, he tried to kiss her and touch her, a police report states.

The fourth woman reported to police she was hospitalized when he touched her and kissed her against her wishes.

Most of the women who have reported the doctor’s behavior so far have said they did not report it because they thought no one would believe them.

The panel found that Dr. Cruz's actions demonstrate a pattern of inappropriate behavior, which is a continuing threat to public health and safety. The suspension remains in effect until the Board takes further action.

Continue reading " Denton Texas Medical Doctor License Suspended Over Sex Assault Allegations " »

As a Dallas Mesothelioma and Asbestos Attorney, I am reporting this Virgina Mesothelioma verdict against Exxon.

A jury awarded a former shipyard employee $25M in his lawsuit against Exxon for asbestos-related medical problems. The suit was filed against Exxon, the ship owner, rather than the parts supplier.

The lawsuit argued that Exxon knew about the problems with asbestos, and even developed rules to protect workers at refineries beginning in 1937, but did not warn shipyard workers or crew members.

An attorney for the worker said the case proved Exxon knew about the cancer link since the 1940s, and knew by the 1960s that it caused mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a carcinogenic fiber that causes lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the body’s major organs and cavities. Asbestos was used in construction for over a century because of its versatility and heat resistance, making it an ideal insulator.

Continue reading " Exxon to Pay $25 M For Shipyard Worker Mesothelioma " »

As a Dallas Slip and Fall attorney I am writing this article to provide guidance for folks who are considering to file a slip and fall claim. You know folks, litigating slip and fall accidents in Texas is difficult because of the premises liability rules generated by our Texas Supreme Court.

In Texas, the status of the plaintiff is important; whether they are an invitee, licensee or mere trespasser. The duty of the premises owner will depend on the plaintiff's status.

“Slip and fall” or "trip and fall" accidents are the most common form of premises liability cases. Common everyday conditions or defects leading to premises liability accidents include wet slick floors, slippery surfaces, uneven floors or steps, cracked sidewalks, broken stair rails, falling objects, high-stacking merchandise, torn carpeting, poor lighting, inadequate security, dangerous conditions caused by inclement weather such as sleet, rain and ice, and failure to secure a swimming pool area etc.

Read more here.

We recently settle a slip and fall case through mediation. My client had slipped and fallen while walking through a corridor on her way to a car park. She slipped on something that was sticky, badly twisting her ankle and fracturing the fibula bone in her ankle. She had moderate medical expenses and she was self insured, so she was on the hook for the medical bills.

Luckily we had a surveillance camera video which showed my client falling and the time she was on the ground...unfortunately it did not show what she slipped on. We settled for almost twice the initial pre-mediation offer and the defendants paid for the mediation fee.

Continue reading " Slip and Fall Explaination of Texas Premises Liability Law " »

As Dallas Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella lawsuit attorney, I am providing this litigation update for folks who have either filed or contemplating filing a lawsuit against Bayer for the personal injuries they have suffered as a result of taking these medications.

This week, plaintiff attorneys who have filed a Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella lawsuit against Bayer, filed a motion in Southern Illinois federal court to extend deadlines for the discovery process.

The parties have asked that the specific discovery deadline for bellwether cases to be pushed back to April 14, 2011 and for the first trial to be pushed back from September, 2011, to January, 2012.

About 6,500 cases are currently in the federal MDL Yasmin and Yaz litigation. All of the lawsuits involve allegations that Bayer failed to adequately research their birth control pills or warn that Yaz and Yasmin may increase the risk of blood clots when compared to other birth control pills, resulting in strokes, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and gallstones.

The plaintiff attorneys say they have received over 50 million documents from Bayer to review and anticipate millions of more pages of documents that will need to be produced before trials can commence.

In October 2010, a Case Management Order (CMO) was filed in the federal MDL, scheduling three bellweather Yaz and Yasmin trials to occur in September 2011, January 2012 and April 2012. Cases are being prepared for these trial dates to help both parties test the strengths and weaknesses of cases and facilitate a Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella settlement.

According to allegations in complaints, the increased risk of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella is linked to the use of drospirenone, a fourth generation progestin that is only found in these oral birth control pills and their generic equivalents.

Continue reading " Yaz Yasmin Ocella MDL Lawsuits March Update " »

As a Dallas Hip and Knee medical device product liability attorney I am providing this update regarding the Zimmer Durom Cup litigation involving premature hip replacement failure and the current DePuy metal on metal ASR hip replacement lawsuits.

For medical device makers, hip and knee replacements are increasing in the next few decades because of the surge in baby boomers. As a result we expect artificial hip and knees implant failures to increase.

In the Zimmer Durom Cup Product Liability Litigation, MDL NO. 2158, which is pending in the US District Court in Newark, New Jersey, the Court ordered all cases to proceed to mediation. Zimmer said they are anxious to settle for a "fair amount," which will include lost wages and medical bills and revision (or replacement) surgery as a result of failed Zimmer hip. The first mediation started in San Francisco and mediations will follow nationwide so that the Zimmer victims can meet with Zimmer representatives.

The Durom Cup was implanted in more than 12,000 patients in the US between 2006 and 2008. In July 2008, Zimmer announced that it was temporarily suspending sales of the Durom Cup in the US, but denied any "evidence of a defect with its product." The complaint alleges that the failure rate of the Durom Cup is between 20 percent and 30 percent and likely will climb much higher in the next few years.

Now we have litigation that has commenced with the DePuy metal on metal ASR hip replacements. These Johnson and Johnson metal on metal ASR hips also fail at an unacceptable rate. These cases have been consolidated in the Northern District of Ohio federal court MDL.

Continue reading " DePuy Hip and Knee Replacement Lawsuits " »

As a Dallas Medical Malpractice attorney and licensed medical doctor, I am providing this article regarding an Indiana surgeon who has been a fugitive on the run for many medical malpractice claims.

An Indiana surgeon who was on the run for over five years faces a wrongful death negligence lawsuit claiming he caused the death of a woman in 2004 after failing to diagnose her with lung cancer.

The lawsuit alleges that the woman went to see the doctor in 2004 with a sore throat, that she received unnecessary surgery and delayed treatment, and died after lung cancer was not treated.

The surgeon was captured in Italy in 2009 and faces more than 350 medical malpractice suits.

Continue reading " Fugitive Medical Doctor Faces 350 Medical Malpractice Lawsuits " »

As a Dallas Topamax Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate attorney I am providing this update regarding Topamax and Topiramate Lawsuits.

Was your child born with a cleft palate or cleft lip after the use of Topamax (topiramate) while pregnant? If so, you should know that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has increased its warning of these birth defects caused by Topamax. The FDA announced that "there is positive evidence of human fetal risk" and warned that taking this medication during pregnancy created a higher risk that the baby would develop a cleft lip or cleft palate.

Medical providers who treat migraine headaches are warning women of childbearing age about the pregnancy risks with Topamax, and warn that contraceptives should be used to avoid getting pregnant while on the medication.

Use of the epilepsy and migraine medication during the first trimester of pregnancy, could cause babies to born with the serious malformations from side effects of Topamax.

Topamax (topiramate) was first approved for treatment of epilepsy, and in 2004, the FDA approved Topamax for use of treating migraines. Generic forms of the drug began to appear in 2006.

The FDA estimates that approximately 32.3 million prescriptions for Topamax or a generic equivalent were issued from January 2007 through December 2010.

According to data from the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, children born to mothers who took Topamax while pregnant had an oral cleft birth defect about three times more often than infants born to women who took other antiepileptic drugs. When compared to children born to women without epilepsy or treatment with other antiepileptic drugs, the Topamax pregnancy risk was associated with a 20 times greater prevalence of cleft palate or cleft lip.

Continue reading " Topamax Topiramate Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Lawsuits " »

As a Dallas Fosamax Femur Fracture attorney I am reporting the following update regarding the Fosamax Long Bone Lawsuits.

The long-term use of Fosamax is linked to an increased risk of femur fractures. We are reviewing and accepting Fosamax lawsuits nationwide. Women throughout the United States have reported suffering spontaneous femur fractures while on Fosamax, Merck’s osteoporosis drug.

The femur, or thigh bone, is one of the strongest bones in the human body. Side effects of Fosamax may weaken the ability of the bone to repair itself from microdamage, increasing the risk of a bone fracture over time.

Merck has failed to adequately research their osteoporosis drug or warn about this potential Fosamax problem. A Fosamax femur fracture lawsuit, may result in financial compensation for users who have suffered broken bones.

Fosamax (alendronate sodium) has been prescribed to millions of people in the United States since it was approved in 1995 for treatment of osteoporosis and Pagets disease of the bone.

While Fosamax is prescribed to treat osteoporosis and reduce the risk of hip fractures and long bone fractures, the mechanism of action, which prevents bone turn-over, could make some users vulnerable to certain types of fractures.

Merck faces about 1,000 lawsuits over Fosamax jaw bone problems which can cause deterioration or decay of the jaw; a condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). The federal Fosamax ONJ lawsuits have been consolidated and centralized into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

If you, a friend or family member experienced a broken thigh bone on Fosamax, request a free consultation and claim evaluation to review your rights with one of our Fosamax lawyers.

Continue reading " Fosamax Long Bone Femur Fracture Lawsuits " »

As a Dallas Toxic Tort attorney I am providing this environmental pollution story.
Conroe Texas is ground zero in a battle between this Houston city, and EPA regulators against Texas environmental officials who approved an underground landfill. In Conroe, the fear is of contaminated water that could cause permanent harm to the only water source for the half-million residents in Montgomery County. And that aquifer feeds additional underground streams that provide water to millions of people in 54 counties.

"Once your water is dirty, you'll never get it clean again," said Rebecca Kaiser, a Conroe resident.

TexCom Gulf Disposal LLC, wants to inject liquid commercial waste into a well underground, that could include cancer-causing benzene and other toxic chemicals. This injection well is less than a mile from hundreds of homes and several schools.

The proposed waste site in Conroe is an oil field with hundreds of abandoned wells. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is concerned that these wells could act as a pathway for the waste to travel to aquifers, and contaminate the drinking water.

There have been many similar problems in Texas, for example in Winona — an East Texas town where a company was forced to close its injection well in 1997 because of spills that residents alleged increased cancer rates and birth defects.

Also in 2005 in Chico, a North Texas town, where waste from an injection well bubbled up through other wells. Finally radioactivity forced the shutdown of municipal water wells.

Continue reading " Conroe, Texas Toxic Landfill Could Contaminate Drinking Water " »

As a DePuy ASR Hip Recall attorney, I would to update the recipients of faulty DePuy ASR hip implants not to preserve their legal rights as Johnson & Johnson offers an early hip replacement settlement.

Before you accept this early hip replacement settlement offer, please seek a second opinion from a knowledgeable and experienced DePuy attorney.

DePuy considers certain minor medical expenses reasonable for patients that experience DePuy hip side effects. But a DePuy hip lawsuit is necessary to get compensation for past, present and future medical therapies, lost wages, pain and suffering.

A second implant surgery is necessary for some patients because of a high failure rate for two of their devices. The DePuy Hip Recall includes the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing system and the ASR XL Acetabular Cup system.

Medical reports suggest that one in eight patients will require a revision surgery within five years of their first implant.

This DePuy hip recall litigation suggests that patients will be observed closely for any side effects in the foreseeable future, including continued pain, inflammation, metallosis, difficulty walking or other DePuy ASR hip replacement side effects.

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