Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

As a Dallas Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous knee replacement system and lawsuit attorney, I am providing this Zimmer update.

Some Zimmer NexGen knee replacement systems have been linked to reports of pain, loosening of the implant and failure of the replacement knee leading to revision surgery. These cases are being reviewed by Zimmer NexGen knee lawyers, who are evaluating the damages for individuals who have experienced problems after a Zimmer knee replacement.

Several different components used as part of Zimmer NexGen knee replacement systems have been associated with a potential increased risk of problems, which may result in pain, limited range of motion, loosening of components or the need for additional revision surgery. In March 2010, data was presented by a group of knee surgeons that indicates nearly 9% of patients who received the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component required revision knee surgery within two years and 36% showed signs of the replacement knee loosening.

At a conference of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in March 2010, several prominent knee surgeons presented data on the outcomes of 108 knee replacement patients who received the Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral component at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

After only two years, the researchers reported:

* 9 patients required knee revision surgery due to loosening and pain
* 39 patients showed evidence of radiographic loosening

It is suspected that the higher-than-expected failure rate is linked to design problems with Zimmer NexGen replacement knees, as the orthopedic surgeons concluded that they were not caused by surgical errors, problems with the techinque or the type of patient who received the knee implant.

More than 150,000 Zimmer NexGen CR and Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral implants have been sold since 2003, and some doctors have reported experiencing a substantially higher-than-expected failure of the replacement knee within a few years of surgery.

The Zimmer replacement knee is a “high-flex” component, which attaches to the bottom of the thigh bone. In most knee replacement systems, a type of surgical cement is used to hold the implant in place. But, the Zimmer NextGen knee does not use a cement and this may be a design defect which increases the risk of a knee replacement loosening and needing additional surgery to revise the implant.

As a result of recalled Zimmer knee replacements and potential problems with the design for certain NexGen components, thousands of individuals may have been exposed to an increase risk of early failure. A number of individuals throughout the United States are pursuing compensation through a Zimmer NexGen knee replacement lawsuit as a result of the manufacturer’s failure to adequately research the artificial knee system or warn about the risk of Zimmer knee problems.

Continue reading " Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Knee Litigation " »

Botox-maker Allergan Inc. was ordered by a federal court jury to pay $212 million to a Virginia man who alleged that use of the drug left him severely disabled.

The verdict awarded Douglas Ray, 67, $12M in compensatory damages and $200M in punitive damages. Ray was injected with the drug in 2007 to treat hand tremors. Ray suffered brain damage and now requires round-the-clock care. The suit, filed a VA federal court alleged that Allergan failed to adequately warn about the potential risks of Botox for off-label use.

Even if the decision by the jury is upheld, Allergan might have to pay only a small fraction of the penalty.Allergan said that Virginia state law caps punitive damages at $350,000. In September, Allergan agreed to pay the federal government $600 million to settle civil and criminal allegations that it illegally marketed and sold the drug through 2005 for unapproved uses, such as treating headaches.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Dr Shezad Malik. The Dr Shezad Malik Law Firm can be contacted in Dallas toll free at 888-210-9693 or in Fort Worth at 817-900-8439. If you or a loved one has been injured from DANGEROUS DRUG SIDE EFFECT, please fill out our contact card for a free consultation.

As a Texas Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease side effect attorney I am providing this Accutane lawsuit update regarding Accutane and the generic versions of the drug.

The Judge overseeing the New Jersey State MDL for Accutane has proposed that brand name Accutane litigation against Hoffman-LaRoche be combined with lawsuits against the manufacturers of the generic version of the drug, isotretinoin.

If granted, the additional defendants in the consolidated Accutane lawsuits would include the following manufacturers. Ranbaxy Laboratories manufactured an Accutane version called Sotret which has been withdrawn. Barr Pharmaceutical manufactured Claravis, which contains the same active agent as Accutane (isotretinoin). Claravis continues to be manufactured with similar Accutane side effects and warnings. Mylan, Inc.is a generic pharmaceutical company and distributes Amnesteem, a form of isotretinoin, which presently remains in stores.

Genpharm, ULC was the first manufacturer authorized by the FDA to produce generic versions of Accutane and manufactured Amnesteem. The manufacturing and packaging activities were delegated to Cardinal Health 409 and sold to Mylan Laboratories, who distributed it around the world. Along with Cardinal Health 409 and Mylan Inc., Genpharm could be among the generic drugmaker defendants in the consolidated Accutane lawsuits.

Judge Higbee who is overseeing the centralized New Jersey Accutane lawsuits, implemented an April 15 deadline by which parties could comment or object to the addition of the generic drug makers to the centralized Accutane litigation. No final decision has yet been announced.

Accutane is a acne medication manufactured by Hoffman LaRoche and the subject of an Accutane recall in 2009. According to scientists, Accutane has serious long term side effects including Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

If you took Accutane to treat acne and suffer from IBD, our Accutane attorneys may be able to recover you and your family compensation by filing an Accutane Crohns lawsuit or Accutane Ulcerative Colitis lawsuit against the manufacturer of the acne medication.

Continue reading " Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease Side Effects " »

As a Texas Plavix Side Effect attorney, I am providing this update regarding the current status of Plavix injury lawsuits and a request for consolidation in New Jersey State Courts.

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi-Aventis pharmaceutical companies are calling for centralization of all Plavix lawsuits filed in New Jersey state court, pointing to a growing number of complaints filed by users who allege that the drug makers fraudulently promoted their popular blood thinner and failed to adequately warn about the risk of potentially life-threatening side effects of Plavix.

Plavix (clopidogrel) is a antiplatelet agent that prevents blood platelets from sticking together to form clots. It is prescribed to prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clotting (thrombosis) when drug coated stents are used in patients with coronary arteriosclerosis.

More than 40 people have filed a Plavix lawsuit in courts throughout the United States, including at least five in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Many cases are likely to be filed in New Jersey state court, where Sanofi-Aventis is headquartered and Bristol Myers Squibb has five facilities.

All of the complaints filed so far allege that the makers of Plavix promoted the expensive medication as a safer alternative to aspirin, although it may actually provide no benefit over taking aspirin. Plaintiffs allege that they suffered injuries as a result of their unnecessary use of Plavix, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attacks, strokes and a blood disorder known as TTP, or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpora.

Plaintiffs say that the two companies repeatedly overstated the safety and effectiveness of Plavix, and point out that the companies were repeatedly cited by the FDA for illegal, off-label promotions and for ads and campaigns that touted its benefits over aspirin.

The two companies say that the lawsuits and their claims are numerous and similar enough to warrant mass tort designation in New Jersey, and have asked that the caseload be transferred to Bergen County, due to its current low mass tort caseload.

A mass tort designation would centralize all cases filed in New Jersey state court before one judge for pretrial proceedings in order to avoid duplicate discovery and conflicting rulings. The claims would remain individual lawsuits for purposes of determining damages and each claim would be judged independently at trial.

The commonly used combination of Plavix and aspirin may expose patients to a higher risk of bleeding than previously believed, according to the findings of a new study. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released the results of a study on the side effects of Plavix and aspirin when combined to help fight blood clots (DAT Dual Antiplatlet Therapy).

The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and determines that there is a clinically significant risk of hemorrhaging when the drugs are used together that doctors and patients need to recognize and anticipate.

CDC researchers compared the rate of incidents from acute hemorrhaging from DAT to those related to another antiplatelet drug called Warfarin. They found an estimated 7,654 emergency department visits every year for hemorrhage-related adverse events from DAT, compared to 60,575 emergency department visits from Warfarin bleeding incidents. Once the researchers adjusted for the rate of prescriptions they found that the rate of emergency department visits due to acute hemorrhages from Plavix and aspirin combined was 1.2 per 1,000 outpatient prescription visits, compared to 2.5 per 1,000 for Warfarin.

Continue reading " Plavix Side Effect Lawsuits " »

As a DePuy ASR Replacement and Recall attorney I am providing this guide and update.
Over 90,000 US citizens are recipients of the recalled DePuy ASR DePuy hip implant. We think only a fraction of individuals with an ASR DePuy hip implant have been identified, because they do not want to go through the tough surgical ordeal again. Our goal is that we want to get all recipients of the recalled ASR DePuy hip implant identified, so that they get meaningful legal and medical help.

The ASR DePuy implants were widely used throughout the United States from 2005, until 2010. We are recommending every recipient, or family member of a recalled ASR DePuy hip implant to call us, if they are suffering pain, problems walking, swelling of the hip, or lack of flexibility. It has already been well documented that there is an extremely high failure rate for the ASR DePuy hip implants.

Women are reporting more problems, and a higher failure rate, with the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular hip replacement system. Women are also more likely to develop some of the serious side effects of the defectively designed implant, including metallosis.

Metallosis is a build-up of cobalt and chromium ions in the soft tissue of the body, particularly around the joints. Metallosis has been noted in people with all kinds of metal-on-metal joint implants and replacement systems. The engineering of the implant is causing far more friction, which leads to metallic debris being released into the tissue surrounding the implant.

The design of the ASR XL Acetabular system was developed to provide a greater range of motion. The DePuy engineers removed the plastic liner from the inside of the hip implant and made the acetabular cup shallow so that patients could move their legs in a wider arc.

The femoral head moves constantly back and forth as the hip implant's owner moves normally, and that puts stress on the acetabular cup. In an implant with a deeper acetabular cup than the DePuy ASR hip implant, there is more material to accommodate the strain of motion. The force is distributed over a bigger surface, which means that the implant overall can hold up to that strain better.

The already-shallow hip implant is made smaller overall to accommodate a woman's smaller frame. Women have naturally wider hips and larger hip sockets than men do, which means that the shallow acetabular cup becomes in effect even shallower.

And the smaller the surface area of the implant, the more likely the material will break down rapidly releasing metal ions into the body. Those metal ions accumulate in the soft tissues surrounding the hip joint, causing metallosis.

Women also more likely to see the problems that develop as a result of metallosis, including metal hypersensitivity, heavy metal poisoning (which includes chromium poisoning and cobalt poisoning) and tissue and bone deterioration.

Continue reading " DePuy ASR Hip Recall Guide and Metallosis Risk " »

We are DePuy ASR and DePuy Pinnacle recall attorneys and are providing this news update to the victims of Defective DePuy ASR Hips and DePuy Pinnacle Hips.

According to allegations raised in a new DePuy Pinnacle hip lawsuit filed earlier this month, the manufacturer of the implant has known for some time that it was a defective and dangerous device, and should have removed it from the market years ago.

The complaint was filed in The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Johnson & Johnson and the designer of the metal-on-metal hip replacement.

The DePuy Pinnacle hip system was introduced in 2001, with some variations containing a metal liner instead of a polyethylene liner, which can result in microscopic metal particles being shed into the body as the metal parts of the hip replacement rub against each other. This can lead to inflammation, swelling, loosening of the parts and ultimately may cause the hip replacement to fail, resulting in the need for hip revision surgery.

The companies did issue a recall for the DePuy ASR hip replacement system in August 2010, due to problems that are similar to what has been reported in connection with the Pinnacle hip. The DePuy ASR was approved by the FDA in 2005 as a “substantially equivalent” design to the DePuy Pinnacle. Post-marketing data provided at the time of that recall indicated that the DePuy ASR failure rate was about 12-13%, but some estimates suggest that nearly 50% of the recalled ASR hip replacements may lead to failure problems within six years.

In October 2010, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) issued a warning about potential problems with metal on-metal hip replacements, indicating that patients and the medical community should be aware that pain months after hip replacement surgery may be a sign of metal-on-metal hip cobalt toxicity. The FDA launched a new website in February to provide information about the risks associated with metal-on-metal hip replacements.

The metal ions, usually cobalt or chromium, can damage bone and tissue around the implant and joint, causing the implant to become loose or causing the patient to feel pain. The particles can have effects on the heart, nervous system and thyroid when in the bloodstream at high levels.

In the U.K., health officials recommend patients with metal-on-metal hip implants that are causing them pain be tested for metal ions in the blood, but the FDA has yet to make similar recommendations. Metal-on-metal hip implant recipients should see their orthopedic surgeon if they experience symptoms including heart pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness, weakness, changes in vision or hearing, fatigue, unexplained cold, weight gain or changes in urination habits, the FDA advises.

A California lawsuit has been filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate and centralize the federal DePuy Pinnacle hip litigation in one court for coordinated pretrial proceedings, either as part of the pending DePuy ASR recall litigation or as a new multidistrict litigation (MDL). The DePuy ASR hip recall litigation is already consolidated as part of an MDL, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

The lawsuit argues that they are all related on common issues of fact, and such consolidation helps reduce duplicative discovery in different cases, eliminates inconsistent rulings from different judges and serves the convenience of the parties, lawyers and the courts. The plaintiff has requested that the Panel either designate a new court for handling of the litigation over DePuy Pinnacle hips or consolidate the DePuy ASR lawsuits and DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits in the same coordinated action.

The MDL Panel is expected to hear oral arguments on the motion at the next scheduled hearing, which will be held on May 16, 2011, at the Gene Synder United States Courthouse in Louisville, Kentucky.

While approximately 93,000 DePuy ASR hip systems were sold before it was removed from the market, more than 150,000 DePuy Pinnacle hips were manufactured according to the ;awsuit. In addition, since the August 2010 ASR recall, more than 1,300 people have filed an adverse event report with the FDA involving problems with a DePuy Pinnacle hip.

Continue reading " Are Defective DePuy Pinnacle Hips To Be Consolidated? " »

As a Crestor Liver Failure, Heart Failure Side Effect Attorney, I am writing this article to warn folks of the dangers associated with Crestor.

AstraZeneca, the global pharmaceutical giant and manufacturer – marketer of the popular cholesterol drug Crestor (Rosuvastatin), is being faced with the possibility of very serious and life threatening sides effects associated its cholesterol drug. Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is currently a very popular cholesterol lowering “statin” drug. Through independent medical research studies, Crestor, is shown to have significantly higher potential risks for certain serious side effects. According to documentation, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to have not been aware of these risks when it approved Crestor for sale in the US in 2003.

Statins were initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reducing high cholesterol levels in order to prevent repeated heart attacks and strokes in at-risk patients. When used for that purpose, the drugs drive down the risk of another heart attack or stroke by lowering levels of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol.

Heart Attack and Stroke - Having the most potent statin on the market is problematic because, though statins reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by lowering the levels of fatty deposits circulating in the bloodstream, research suggests that statins dampen the inflammatory processes. This can lead deposits of plaque to break away from blood vessel walls and cause sudden blockages of arteries leading to the heart or brain, and therefore heart attacks and strokes.

One of the major side effects of Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is a life threatening disorder known as Rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis – This is a degenerative muscle disease that has been found in patients taking Crestor. It is a considerable depletion of muscle tissue throughout the body. As the muscles atrophy, the patient experiences weight loss, loss in body mass and serious weakness. This Crestor side effect also affects the most important muscle in the body, the heart. In a research study conducted by the independent watchdog group, Public Citizen, prescription data for Crestor was compared to that of other statin drugs. This research study showed that Crestor caused rhabdomyolysis almost 22 times more than its lowest dose competitor and 3 times more than its highest dose competitor. These are significant results.

The reason for the study’s outcome is that the higher the dose of the active ingredient, Rosuvastatin, the higher the risk of rhabdomyolysis. AstraZeneca, promotes Crestor as being the most powerful statin on the market. This may be true, but at what cost to a patient’s health? Recent studies have shown that only 10 mg of Crestor (Rosuvastatin) has a significantly positive effect, but these positive benefits plateau and the negative side effects of rhabdomyolysis, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, liver failure, kidney failure, and potentially diabetes increase significantly at the higher prescribed and advertised dosages.

Continue reading " Crestor Liver Failure And Heart Failure Side Effects " »

As a YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella Side Effect and Injury attorney, I want to bring to the attention of my blog readers, the latest medical information regarding these 4th generation oral contraceptive pills. According to a pair of studies published this weekend in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the most popular birth control pills used by teenagers, Yasmin and YAZ doubles the risk of blood clots compared to a older generation birth control pill. Two new studies add to the growing evidence that birth control pills containing a newer type of progestin may put some women at higher risk for blood clots.

The medical report and analyses is a major warning for the heavily-marketed Yasmin and YAZ, which are popular with young adults and women with a history of menstrual disorders.

In the first study, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine examined women ages 15 to 44 who started taking Yasmin and YAZ, which contain a contraceptive called drospirenone, instead of the much older drug levonorgestrel, which is sold under a variety of brand names. Accodrding to researchers those women who used Yasmin and YAZ were twice as likely to hospitalized with their first deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms, known as venous thromboembolism. Thromboembolism is the medical term for a blood clot in the veins, often in the legs, that gets dislodged and can cause fatal clogging in the lung arteries.

"These findings support more recent studies that suggest that drospirenone oral contraceptives are not as safe," wrote Susan Jick and Rohini Hernandez in the BMJ. Jick and Hernandez recommended that "in the absence of other consideration, [Yasmin and YAZ] should not be the first choice in oral contraception."

A second study published in the BMJ only examined UK patients and found an even higher risk; three times the chance of blood clots compared to the older drug.

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, which manufactures Yasmin and YAZ, in a statement, said that the side effects were "an uncommon event" and noted that pregnancy would increase the deadly risks even more. Pregnancy actually puts women at higher risk for blood clots than birth control pills, a blood clot occurs in one pregnant woman for every 1,000 to 1,500 pregnant women, while one in 3,000 women who take birth control pills experience some form of blood clot, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance. This is a flawed argument, Bayer should compare non pill users wiith women taking YAZ, Yasmin.

In March 2010, Bayer put additional risk warnings on the European product label for the Yasmin pill but said at the time that the overall benefit-risk profile remained unchanged.Bayer said in its 2010 annual report that there were about 6,850 lawsuits pending in the United States with plaintiffs claiming they had suffered injuries from Bayer's Yasmin and Yaz pills or generic copies sold by Teva's Barr Laboratories.

So what does it all mean? The increased risk suggested by these studies is about two to three times those from older pills, and that any woman taking the newer medicines will get a blood clot is higher than other types of birth control. And the whole idea of medication is that the cure is less risky than the disease; here the data coupled with other research, unequivocally demonstrates that there are safer oral contraceptives than YAZ and Yasmin and that the company is putting profits over people safety. Remember physicians, the Hippocratic Oath, "first do no harm."

Read my earlier blog, questioning whether YAZ, Yasmin would be recalled.

Continue reading " YAZ, Yazmin, Ocella Side Effects And Injury " »

As a Dallas Car Accident Attorney I am providing this update regarding the most dangerous time for car accidents in Dallas.

Minimizing risk is not about when you are on the road, but how careful you are while on the road. The most dangerous month, is August, and Saturday the most dangerous day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Auto accidents kill more than 40,000 people in the U.S. each year; they are the No. 1 cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 34.

Time of Day Does Matter According to the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, an average 6.6 people are killed between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and another 6.6 between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Those rates are the overall highest of any time during the day. In 2007, 14,055 people were killed in the 5 p.m. hour. But the hours between midnight and 4 a.m. have the highest number of fatalities when calculated as a percentage of the amount of people on the road, according to AAA. During that time, statistically speaking, 5.87 per 100 million people on the road will be killed.

Time of day plays an important role in evaluating fatal crashes, because other dangerous factors are increased at night. Drunk driving, speeding and driving without a safety belt all increase during the night hours and each factor contributes directly to increased fatality rates.

Speeding is a factor in 30% of all fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA. 18% of fatal crashes during the day are alcohol-related, while 54% of crashes at night are alcohol-related. Two out of three the people killed at night are not wearing a seat belt.

Nationwide, 49% of fatal crashes happen at night, with a fatality rate per mile of travel about three times as high as daytime hours. During the day, the percentage of unrestrained fatalities tends to be under half.

The fewest deaths by crash in 2007, the latest year with complete data, happened early in the morning, between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Those hours see significantly less traffic--only 9% of the average amount during peak hours.

Mid-week days like Tuesday and Wednesday also pose the lowest number of fatalities, both averaging fewer drivers and 96 and 100 deaths per day, respectively. So the answer is if you want to drive without getting killed, limit your driving to Tuesday and Wednesday morning, between 4 and 5 am. Hardly a practical solution to this epidemic.

Weekends--when the greatest number of people are on the road--predictably see the highest numbers of crash victims, with a combined average of 143 deaths for Saturday and Sunday, according to the IIHS.

Read more here.

Continue reading " Car Accident Guru Reveals The Most Dangerous Time for Accidents " »

I have handled a few dog bite cases in my time. Nothing galls me more, especially when a child gets mauled by a so called pet dog. As a Dallas Dog Bite and Dallas Dog Attack Attorney, I have heard many instances where a dangerous dog such as a pit bull attacked a child aged around two years old or other infants. The child did not stand a chance.

Currently I am handling a case where a 2 year child was attacked and mauled by a small stray chihuahua dog who had been taken in 2 weeks earlier. My 2 year old client was bitten on the face and sustained injuries to her lip...the injuries could have been a lot worse.

I will keep you readers appraised of the development in my case.

Read more about dog bite rights here.

Continue reading " Dog Bites And Dog Attacks " »

As a Depuy ASR XL and ASR resurfacing hip recall attorney, I am trying to provide answers for my clients and potentials victims of the DePuy debacle.

If you are a victim of an ASR XL Acetabular System or an ASR Hip Resurfacing System, both of which were recalled by DePuy/Johnson & Johnson, you should expect financial compensation. In determining the amount of compensation you may be entitled to, you need to consider the following: the types of damages that available to people injured by defective products, and the recent results of a Sulzer hip implant lawsuit.

DePuy has promised, that it “…intends to cover reasonable and customary costs of treatment if you need services associated with the recall of ASR, including revision surgery if it is necessary.” DePuy names specific out-of-pocket expenses that it considers “reasonable,” including lost work time and travel expenses.

DePuy not provided any details on how, it intends to compensate you for the pain and suffering your DePuy hip replacement may have caused. To protect your legal rights, you should not call DePuy or sign any document the company provides without first speaking with a DePuy hip replacement attorney.

In a product liability case, a victim can recover economic damages (medical bills and lost wages) and non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering).

In 2000, Sulzer Orthopedics, Inc. recalled approximately 30,000 of its Inter-Op Acetabular Shell units. Because of a defective product, many recipients of this hip device required revision surgery, like with the DePuy hip recall. In 2002, Sulzer agreed to settle its class action and the company paid $1 billion to settle all the lawsuits. Those patients who required revision surgery were paid more than $200,000 each, and those who received faulty implants but did not undergo revision surgery received roughly $1,000 each. So time will tell regarding what DePuy will do and if history is going to be a guide.

We at this time do not know how the hundreds of DePuy ASR lawsuits will end up either through settlement or litigation. The fact is that taking legal action may be your only chance to recover financial compensation from DePuy. One thing is for certain, in mass tort cases, the companies usually settle, because it makes economic sense to do so and not because of any moral imperative or ethical considerations. It finally boils down to dollars and cents, like everything in life.

I have a client who is to undergo a double DePuy extraction next week, for cobaltism, metalosis and severe pain in both hips. She takes care of an elderly mother and her husband has chronic medical problems. She has been the main care giver to her family. Now with a double hip replacement, she will be the one who will require significant care and rehabilitation and she will need to make sure her family is taken cared of during her recovery, which could take as long as 6 months. The question she asks, will DePuy take care of her family diuring her rehabilitation? We have to wait and see.

Continue reading " Can I Get Compensation For a DePuy Hip Replacement Lawsuit? " »

As a Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella Gallbladder disease attorney, I am providing information on this latest Canadian study, which found an increase of gallbladder disease in women who took Drospirenone containing birth control pills.

Women who take Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, which contain drospirenone, are at greater risk of gallbladder damage than women on other oral contraceptives, according to a new Canadian study. The research study involved 2.7 million women who took birth control pills for at least six months between 1997 and 2009. A total of 27,087 women in the study group underwent surgery to have their gallbladders removed. The study found that while all birth control pills put women at some risk for losing their gallbladders, women who use pills with drospirenone were at greater risk.

Drospirenone is a synthetic progestin hormone which has diuretic properties. It is used in combination with another estrogen hormone, ethinyl estradiol, in Bayer’s Yaz and Yasmin. Bayer recently released Beyaz and Safyral, two more birth control pills identical to Yaz and Yasmin, with added folate.

Bayer is fighting allegations that its popular birth control pills can put women’s lives at risk, with more than 3,000 lawsuits filed against the company from women who say they were harmed by the pills.

The new study was funded by the Fonds de la recherché en sante du Quebec, a government-financed research agency, and is in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Continue reading " Does Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Cause GallBladder Disease? " »

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has dismissed an Agent Orange petition in a case originally brought by Vietnam veterans more than 30 years ago. This is a sad and tragic verdict for our men who gallantly fought for this country and who have been severely impacted by the diseases brought on by toxic exposure.

After their disability claims were denied, five veterans in 1979 filed a challenge to a 1978 Veterans' Administration publication suggesting that only limited claims could be brought based on chemical exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants during the Vietnam War.

The Federal Circuit, after recounting the labyrinthine history of the case, ruled that it lacked jurisdiction because there was no court avenue for procedural challenges to Department of Veterans Affairs regulations until the 1988 Veterans' Judicial Review Act.

Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971.

A 50:50 mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D, it was manufactured for the U.S. Department of Defense primarily by Monsanto Corporation and Dow Chemical. The 2,4,5-T used to produce Agent Orange was later discovered to be contaminated with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, an extremely toxic dioxin compound. It was given its name from the color of the orange-striped 55 US gallon (200 L) barrels in which it was shipped.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Dr Shezad Malik. The Dr Shezad Malik Law Firm can be contacted in Dallas toll free at 888-210-9693 or in Fort Worth at 817-900-8439. If you or a loved one has been injured from a truck accident, car crash or bus accident, please fill out our contact card for a free consultation.

As a Texas Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Dangerous Drug Side Effect Attorney, I am providing this litigation update for current clients and potential new victims.

Many women who have suffered by side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control are expected to call for Bayer to issue a Yaz and Yasmin recall at an upcoming shareholder’s meeting. They claim that the popular birth control pills may be responsible for the death of more than 190 women in the United States. Bayer will hold its annual shareholder meeting on April 29 in Cologne, Germany.

Lawsuits against Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals continue to be filed on behalf of women who claim to have suffered serious injuries as a result of Yaz or Yasmin (generic: Ocella) birth control pills. Consumer groups and some members of the medical community are questioning Yaz side effects and the increased risk for blood clots and strokes. Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are considered “fourth generation” combination birth control pills. They contain a newer type of synthetic progestin called drospirenone. This contraceptive is one of the most popular contraceptives and has been heavily marketed to women throughout the United States promoting its use in treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

In the latest study of teenage girls and birth-control habits suggests the oral contraceptive Yaz is more popular with teenage girls and young adults than ever before. In the study, Yaz was named “by far” the most popular oral contraceptive for US women aged 13-18. The study was based on the behaviors of more than 3 million American women between 2002 and 2009.

The FDA has at least 190 reports of Yaz and Yasmin deaths in the United States that were linked to the use of the highly successful birth control pills. That number is likely to be a fraction of the actual number of deaths from Yasmin and Yaz, as it is acknowledged that only about 1% to 10% of all adverse events associated with the use of medications are ever reported.

Bayer’s line of drosperinone-based oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin, have been found to carry an 80% increased risk of thrombosis events than older birth control pills by some studies. Thousands of women throughout the United States have filed a Yaz lawsuit or Yasmin lawsuit against Bayer, alleging that the drug maker failed to adequately research the risks associated with the medication or warn women that they may be exposed to an increased risk of serious and potentially fatal side effects when using the birth control pills. Lawsuits also allege that Bayer engaged in deceptive and misleading advertisements that were directed to consumers and the medical community.

The Yaz and Yasmin lawyers at Dr Shezad Malik Law Firm represent women throughout the United States who are pursuing a lawsuit over an injury or death that may have been prevented if Bayer had recalled Yaz and Yasmin or provided adequate warnings. Potential Yaz and Yasmin recall lawsuits are being reviewed for women who have suffered an injury or death as a result of a:

* Stroke or Heart Attack
* Pulmonary Embolism
* Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
* Gallbladder Disease

Continue reading " Will Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Be Recalled? " »

Every day, we are hearing a lot of bad news about the osteoporosis drug Fosamax. Made by Merck & Co., Fosamax has been a successful bone disease treatment on the market for over a decade. In January 2009, medical studies were released that hit the drug and its manufacturer hard. The first study links Fosamax to osteonecrosis, of the jaw, and the second, links Fosamax to esophageal cancer. Are these reports the Titantic that is about to hit the Fosamax iceberg?

Fosamax works by attacking cells in the body responsible for bone breakdown, which can help patients dealing with osteoporosis. At the same time, if the drug is too efficient, it can cause the bone to grow too dense, which takes up inner bone space where bone marrow is found. Bone marrow is responsible for bone healing and growth, so without enough marrow, the bone will die. If you do break a bone that has been subjected to Fosamax and similar drugs it won't heal.

Medical studies linking the drug to esophageal cancer report that many of those affected had used the drug for over two years. One thing is certain - we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Fosamax injuries. Currently there are over 1,000 Fosamax lawsuits in litigation, and as more studies are done to confirm the allegations against the drug, we may see even more patients coming forward.

Fosamax, when used over time, can cause dead jaw, and Fosamax femur fractures have been a major problem in some cases. When you have osteoporosis, your bones become extremely fragile, and fractures can happen even with just a bump or gentle fall. Most often, fractures happen in the hips, spine, and wrists. If you break your hip, you typically need major surgery to fix it, and even then, you may have problems walking for the rest of your life. With spinal fractures, the same is true, and patients generally have back pain and may have to deal with deformities.

Fosamax and the following drugs Actonel (risedronate sodium) tablets, Actonel with Calcium (risedronate sodium with calcium carbonate tablets), Atelvia (risedronate sodium) delayed-release tablets, Boniva (ibandronate sodium) tablets, Fosamax (alendronate sodium) tablets and oral solution, Fosamax Plus D (alendronate sodium/cholecalciferol) Tablets, Reclast (zoledronic acid) Injections are now required to have clear warning labels regarding low-energy, or low trauma fractures of the femoral shaft (leg bone).

As a Fosamax osteoporosis attorney, I suggest discussing this drug with any elderly female friends and relatives as they may be unaware of the current crisis and the FDA's warnings.

Continue reading " Texas Titanic About to Hit The Fosamax Iceberg? " »

As a Fosamax Femur Fracture attorney, I am providing this update regarding Fosamax Femur Fractures.

There are now many Fosamax femur fracture lawsuits filed by folks who have suffered a femur fracture or other bone fracture after taking the osteoporosis drug.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.

The Fosamax bone fracture lawsuits allege that Merck failed to adequately research their medication or provide adequate warnings before they suffered a femur fracture or bone break. 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.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) included publication of a major case control study relating to bisphosphonates (particularly Fosamax) and subtrochanteric femur fractures. The researchers who authored the study concluded that patients on long-term bisphosphonates for osteoporosis therapy had a 274% higher chance of subtrochanteric femur fractures than similar matched patients. (OR 2.74.) The authors concluded “these findings provide strong evidence that prolonged bisphosphonate therapy is associated with an increased risk of subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fracture.”

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.

Fosamax and the following drugs Actonel (risedronate sodium) tablets, Actonel with Calcium (risedronate sodium with calcium carbonate tablets), Atelvia (risedronate sodium) delayed-release tablets, Boniva (ibandronate sodium) tablets, Fosamax (alendronate sodium) tablets and oral solution, Fosamax Plus D (alendronate sodium/cholecalciferol) Tablets, Reclast (zoledronic acid) Injections are now required to have clear warning labels regarding low-energy, or low trauma fractures of the femoral shaft (leg bone).

As a Fosamax medication attorney, I suggest discussing this drug with any elderly female friends and relatives as they may be unaware of the current crisis and the FDA's warnings.

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.

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As a Dallas Propecia Side Effect Litigation Attorney, I want to pose the following question-how many men do you think, would trade a head of hair for the significant possibility of permanent impotence and male breasts (gynecomastia). Did not think so.

Finasteride is a highly potent inhibitor of Type II 5-Alpha Reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone, into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Propecia (1mg) was approved by the FDA in 1997 and is marketed as a treatment for male pattern hair loss (MPHL), as DHT has been implicated in the balding process. Proscar (5mg) was approved in 1992 by the FDA for treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH - enlargement of the prostate).

Both Propecia and Proscar share the same active ingredient (Finasteride) which can aid in stopping hair loss.

Clinical studies of Finasteride for male pattern hair loss, including the Propecia clinical trials for the FDA, indicate that a certain percentage of men may experience negative sexual side effects from Finasteride, including decreased libido or sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and decreased ejaculate volume while on the medication.

In addition, prescribing information warns against possible physical changes to the body, including breast tenderness or enlargement (gynecomastia); hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions including rash, pruritis (itching) and urticaria (hives); swelling of the lips and face; testicular pain; ejaculation disorder; impotence; and male breast cancer. The official warning label for the drug in the U.S. says that sexual side effects — such as erectile dysfunction — occurred in less than 2 percent of men and that these side effects went away in men who stopped taking it. In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court in February by two men who took Propecia claims that in the U.K., Sweden and Italy the Propecia warning label says that sexual dysfunction may be permanent.

Some men have also reported various other psychiatric, neurological and neurocognitive side effects from Propecia, including depression, sexual anhedonia, sexual anesthesia, anxiety, bipolar mood disorder, suicidal ideation, cognitive dysfunction (memory loss or difficulty with intellectual processing), slurring of speech, social withdrawal, lethargy/fatigue and listlessness, and other amotivational states.

Many men who took Propecia or Proscar for MPHL have experienced mental, physical, and sexual side effects while on the medication, then discontinued Propecia, and then fully expected to return to normal in accordance with representations made in the official prescribing information. Men worried about losing their hair may be losing far more than that if they take the popular drug Propecia.

Two new studies were published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in March 2011. Young men are being prescribed these drugs, as hair loss treatments that may negatively impact their sexual life, possibly for a prolonged time after stopping the medication, according to Dr. Irwin Goldstein, the journal's editor-in-chief.

A new research says 5 to 23 percent of the millions of men who take the drug may become impotent and have lowered sex drives because of the active ingredient finasteride. And the problem may linger years after they stop taking the drug.

Continue reading " Propecia Product Liability Lawsuit Filed " »

As a Dallas Car Accident DUI Attorney, I am reporting this tragic pedestrian monster car wrongful death accident.

The parents of a Granbury college student who was struck and killed by a monster truck outside a Dallas strip club, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the truck and the club.

The lawsuit comes after Kasey McKenzie, 23, was killed while leaving with friends after a party at the Spearmint Rhino Gentlemen's Club shortly after 2 a.m. when Eric Crutchfield, pulled his custom 2003 Ford F-250 truck out of a parking space and ran over her with both front and rear tires.McKenzie died at the scene.

The lawsuit claims that the club was negligent when bartenders served Crutchfield past the legal limit of intoxication and allowed him to get in his vehicle and drive, even though it was apparent he was drunk, according to the parent's lawyer.

The lawsuit also claims that Crutchfield was driving with a suspended license and was so intoxicated at the time of McKenzie's death that he didn't know he had hit anyone.

Crutchfield's truck had a lift kit that limited his field of vision and was not in keeping with federal and state regulations.

The Dallas resident was charged with intoxication manslaughter after his blood alcohol level was shown to be 0.18, more than twice the legal limit at 0.08, according to Dallas police spokesman Kevin Janse.

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Defective Drugs and Product liability attorneys have submitted a proposal for the selection of bellweather trials in the federal NuvaRing multidistrict litigation (MDL).

NuvaRing is a form of birth control that releases a combination of etonogestrel and ethinyl estradiol through a ring that is inserted into the vagina once a month.

All NuvaRing lawsuits filed in federal district courts throughout the United States have been consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. These complaints all involve women who suffered the following injuries; stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or sudden death. The claims allege that the drug makers failed to research the birth control ring or warn about the potential increased risk of these serious problems.

The bellweather process is common in complex litigation involving a number of claims that raise similar allegations. By selecting a small group of cases for an early trial, the parties are able to get an idea how a jury is likely to respond to evidence and testimony. The outcome of these trials shapes the litigation and may lead to an agreement to settle NuvaRing birth control lawsuits by the drug maker.

To reduce the number of cases that must go through expert discovery, the parties have proposed that nine cases constitute the final trial pool. Expert discovery would then be limited to the nine cases in the final trial pool, which will occur over 2012.

As of the end of 2010, more than 730 victims had filed a NuvaRing lawsuit and the number of cases is expected to increase over the next year. The vast majority of the pending NuvaRing cases filed throughout the country are included in the MDL, but additional lawsuits are pending in New Jersey state court and other state courts throughout the United States.

Continue reading " NuvaRing Birth Control Lawsuits Moving Ahead " »

A lawsuit has been filed against Merck, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The complaint alleges that the drug manufacturer warned European users that the drug Propecia may cause sexual problems in men, but did not provide American users the same warning.

According to the complaint, plaintiffs were prescribed Propecia to combat male pattern hair loss, and they suffered serious sexual dysfunction.

The lawsuit alleges that the warnings about the risk of sexual problems from Propecia differed significantly in Europe from the label warnings to users of Propecia in the U.S.

In Europe, Propecia labels stating that erectile dysfunction problems may persist after the patient discontinues use treatment with Propecia were added in 2008.

Propecia (finasteride) was approved in 1992 for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and also is approved to treat male pattern baldness.

Last month researchers from the U.S. published a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that found side effects of Propecia were linked to sexual problems in men. Researchers indicated that the class of drugs known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can cause loss of libido, depression erectile dysfunction, reduced semen production and growth of male breast tissue.

The lawsuit over Propecia charges Merck with negligence, failure to warn, strict product liability, and breach of warranty.

Continue reading " Propecia Use Can Lead to Permanent Sexual Dysfunction " »

As a Dallas Medical License Defense Attorney, I am providing this article regarding a Houston Pain Pill Mill Doctor being busted again. It looks like this guy and his cronies did not learn their lesson. This is a quick fire way to lose your medical and pharmacy licenses.

A physician and two pharmacists arrested in a Houston high-volume pill mill operation, had previously faced disciplinary probes for distributing controlled drugs, and all three had been allowed to continue to work despite those allegations, according to professional disciplinary records.

For two years Dr. Gerald Ratinov, the state's top prescriber of the pain killer drug hydrocodone, has been under investigation by the Texas Medical Board (TMB) for operating another Harris County pill mill. At that site, an unlicensed foreign medical graduate dispensed drugs and patients received pain pills without proper examinations in 2008.

During the TMB disciplinary action, Ratinov, a 76-year-old neurologist, opened the Astrodome Health Clinic in September 2010 — another site described as a pill mill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. And at that clinic and two other sites, he supervised unlicensed foreign medical school graduates and others who illegally supplied pills.

Ratinov now faces felony charges for illegally operating three pill mills: the Astrodome Health Clinic, The Abundant Life and Weight Loss Center and the Hobby Medical Center.

20 people face charges resulting from this week's pill mill sting, which involved three clinics and four pharmacies. The DEA, the Department of Public Safety, the medical and pharmacy boards and other agencies participated.

Two pharmacists arrested this week already had been on probation with the state Board of Pharmacy for previous prescription problems, according to Pharmacy Board records.

Continue reading " Houston Texas Pain Pill Mill Doctor Busted Again " »