Personal Injury

August 27, 2015

Xarelto and Pradaxa No Safer than Warfarin

According to recent research, the new blood thinners Xarelto and Pradaxa are no safer than warfarin when it comes to bleeding and complications like heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers found no difference in the risk of bleeding events or arterial thromboembolism events between any of the three groups for the first 90 days of use.

Medical experts are concerned about the new-generation anticoagulants, as they do not have a reversal agent, in the event of a serious or catastrophic bleeding, which can result in deadly results.

August 26, 2015

Hip and Knee Implant Infection Epidemic

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Many hip and knee surgery patients can develop bacterial infections of their implants, leading to painful re-do surgeries, long term antibiotic use and in severe cases amputation because of overwhelming infection.

There are many causes for this, including patient and surgical factors and according to some experts the bacterial infections it may be related to the bacteria in the operative room and hospital, since it is impossible to make the surgical room and hospital completely free of bacteria.

3M and their Arizant Healthcare subsidiary are exposed to personal injury and product liability lawsuits over hip and knee replacement infections may be caused by their Bair Hugger warming blankets.

August 25, 2015

Bard IVC Filter Lawsuits Consolidated in Arizona

by Dr. Shezad Malik

According to a recent ruling by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), all filed Bard Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter injury, perforation and migration lawsuits, are to be consolidated and centralized before one federal judge in Phoenix, Arizona for coordinated pretrial proceedings.

Existing cases pending throughout the federal court system will be transferred to U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell, who will oversee the multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceedings. Bard Peripheral Vascular is the manufacturer of these Bard IVC filters and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

This consolidation and centralization of Bard IVC filter cases only applies to cases filed in the federal court system. There are less than 50 filed Bard Recovery filter and Bard G2 filter lawsuits currently pending in U.S. District Courts nationwide.

July 30, 2015

Morcellator Hysterectomy and FDA Black Box Warnings

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Power morcellators are medical devices used to allow surgeons to cut up and remove fibroids through a minimally invasive incision in the abdomen. Over the past 2 years, medical experts have questioned the safety of the devices, since some women may have undiagnosed cancers contained within the uterus, which the devices may rapidly spread throughout the body, during the grinding and cutting process.

FDA Black Box Warning for Power Morcellators

The FDA has hammered the laparoscopic power morcellator devices with the strongest warning possible, requiring the morcellators to have a black box warning concerning the risk of cancer spread.

March 25, 2015

Zofran Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Birth Defect Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Zofran, is an anti-nausea medication that is commonly prescribed for post surgical, chemotherapy and morning sickness patients over the past 20 years. According to experts, recent medical studies have found pregnancy side effects that may increase the risk of severe and debilitating birth defects in children.

GlaxoSmithKline Allegations

Patients have blamed GlaxoSmithKline’s failure to adequately research their medication or warn about the risk of congenital malformations. Parents and injured children are filing Zofran birth defect lawsuits throughout the United States who have developed, Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate and severe Heart Defects, especially Atrial Septal Defect and Ventricular Septal Defect.

March 24, 2015

Xarelto Bleeding Death Attorney Shares Latest Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

As a Dallas Xarelto Bleeding Death attorney and Texas medical doctor, I would like to update my readers about the ongoing status of the Xarelto litigation. Most recently, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against the makers of Xarelto; Bayer Healthcare and Johnson and Johnson’s subsidiary, Janssen.

Danny Julien recently filed a claim in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, on behalf of his father, Tommy Julien, who died as a result of uncontrollable bleeding.

According to the personal injury and death lawsuit, Julien suffered from atrial fibrillation and used Xarelto to prevent strokes from the atrial fibrillation. Julien developed severe internal bleeding while on Xarelto, which eventually led to his death.

March 21, 2015

Cook Celect IVC Filter Heart Damage Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Cook Medical is exposed to a personal injury and product liability claim by a Michigan man, who blames the Celect Inferior Vena Cava filter for causing severe injury when it broke apart and punctured his heart.

Larry and Brenda Johnson recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, claiming that the filter used to prevent blood clots traveling from the legs to the lungs damaged his heart.

Johnson was implanted with the retrievable IVC filter to prevent blood clots from traveling to his lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism.

March 20, 2015

Actos Bladder Cancer Attorney Shares Settlement News

by Dr. Shezad Malik

After 4 years of intense Actos litigation, surrounding the link between the use of Actos and the development of bladder cancer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals is signaling the raising of the white flag, by entering into a series of settlement discussions.

Serious effort are underway to try and resolve all of the Actos bladder cancer lawsuits. According to an order issued on March 17 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna, there are five settlement meetings scheduled between April 16, 2015 and March 18, 2016, before the next “bellwether” trial goes before a federal jury.

The U.S. District Judge presiding over all federal Actos bladder cancer lawsuits will require the parties to discuss settlements in advance of a bellwether trial scheduled in May 2016. In that trial at least five different cases are consolidated for trial before one jury.

March 12, 2015

J&J Ethicon Hammered in Vaginal Mesh $5.7M Verdict

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Johnson and Johnson (J&J) the world’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device maker is hammered in another loss in the on going transvaginal mesh wars.

In the latest of a series of trials held in state and federal court, the jury has awarded $5.7 million verdict against J&J and its Ethicon subsidiary, over Ethicon’s Gynecare TVT Abbrevo device.

Trans Vaginal Wars Continue

March 3, 2015

FDA Orders Stronger Testosterone Heart Attack Warnings

by Dr. Shezad Malik

According to a FDA press release this week, testosterone drug makers must change the products’ labels to warn they are approved for only certain disorders, not to help men treat aging symptoms.

Popular blockbuster drugs, like AbbVie Inc.’s AndroGel and Eli Lilly & Co.’s Axiron, are being restricted and warnings are being required in the labels about a potential risk of heart attack and stroke from using testosterone.

According to Bloomberg, AndroGel ranked second in AbbVie’s drug sales last year, with $934 million.