Toxic Injury

August 3, 2009

Carcinogens and Poisons Found in Electronic Cigarettes

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

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

August 3, 2009

Neurontin Pfizer Product Liability Lawsuit Dropped

by Dr. Shezad Malik

After her family dropped its lawsuit in the midst of trial, Pfizer Inc. won’t face a lawsuit over claims its epilepsy drug Neurontin helped lead a Massachusetts woman to commit suicide,
Susan Bulger’s family agreed to dismiss the suit after an anonymous donor offered to put money in a trust for her 10-year- old daughter, Regina, said Mark Lanier, the family’s lawyer. The trial began July 27 and was scheduled to run three weeks in federal court in Boston.

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

August 1, 2009

Arlington Texas Asbestos Litigation

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

August 1, 2009

Hepatitis C Medical Malpractice Claims Can Proceed

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

July 29, 2009

Defective Drug: Yasmin Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Yasmin lawsuits are personal injury cases that seek settlements for women injured after taking Yasmin (drospirenone), a contraceptive pill also prescribed in the treatment of moderate acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) for menstruating women. Yasmin may also be sold under the brand name Yaz, a form of drospirenone manufactured and distributed by Bayer.

Produced by Berlex Laboratories, Inc., Yasmin has been reported to cause a variety of serious side effects since its FDA approval in May 2001. Women injured after taking Yasmin will likely be entitled to compensation by pursuing a Yasmin lawsuit.

July 29, 2009

Baxter Contaminated Heparin Class Action Lawsuit Still Open

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Patients who were harmed because of heparin contamination still have time to bring claims against the makers of the heparin products. Patients may have been exposed to contaminated heparin through injections, pre-filled syringes or IV bags. It is important for people affected by contaminated heparin to hold those responsible accountable for what happened.

Heparin is a blood thinner, used in a variety of procedures, including dialysis and cardiac procedures. In early 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of certain Baxter heparin products after the agency received reports of adverse reactions linked to the products. Within a month, hundreds of reports detailing severe reactions to heparin surfaced worldwide. The recall was later expanded to include more products and other companies.

The FDA discovered that the contaminant was oversulfated chondroitin sulphate (OSCS), the reactions to OSCS can be extreme; with large doses of heparin, it can result in death.

Injuries linked to contaminated heparin include nausea, vomiting and flu-like symptoms to anaphylactic shock, coma and even death.

July 29, 2009

FDA Warns Against Bodybuilding Products Containing Steroids

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Federal regulators warned consumers on Tuesday not to use body-building products that are sold as nutritional supplements but may contain steroids or steroidlike substances, citing reports of acute liver injury and kidney failure.

The Food and Drug Administration said it issued the warning because of increased reports of medical problems in men who had used such products.

But except for naming eight specific supplements sold by a single company, the Food and Drug Administration did not provide much clear guidance to consumers on what other products to avoid. The F.D.A. acknowledged that it did not know how many products its warning affect

July 28, 2009

Defective Drug: Accutane Lawsuits and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Accutane has been a controversial acne medication because of the serious risk of side effects and suicides attributed to it. The FDA warned physicians prescribing the acne medication to be aware of any signs of depression their patients might display. Accutane manufacturer Hoffman-LaRoche did not warn patients and healthcare professionals of the potential risks involved with Accutane until after the FDA made this advisement.

In October 2001, Congressman Bart Stupak expressed his concerns about Accutane following the suicide of his son who was taking Accutane. Accutane manufacturer has warned physicians that the acne drug can possibly cause “depression, psychotic symptoms, and rarely suicide attempts,” but still the company maintains they believe the drug is safe. In addition, Accutane carries high risk of serious birth defects, including deformed babies, miscarriage, premature birth, or death of the baby.

July 25, 2009

Fleet Phospate Class Action Lawsuits For Kidney Damage

by Dr. Shezad Malik

If you took an oral sodium phosphate (OSP) to clean your bowels prior to a colonoscopy and have developed kidney damage, there is a chance your health problems are linked to the use of the OSP. In 2008, certain oral sodium phosphates, including OsmoPrep and Visicol were given a black box warning, the highest warning required by the FDA, alerting patients to the risk of kidney damage.

The OsmoPrep and the Visicol are prescription drugs, and there is also an over-the-counter preparation called a Fleet enema. These also have been linked with acute kidney damage when used as bowel preparation for a colonoscopy but not when used as a laxative. In 2008, they were also given a black box warning that warns of the potential risks of renal failure.”

There are some people who are more susceptible to renal failure than others. Some factors that can affect a patient’s susceptibility include having pre-existing kidney damage, being dehydrated while taking the OSP, being on an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor while taking the OSP, being on an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) while taking the OSP, having increased bowel transit times (such as a bowel obstruction or colitis), or being on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) while taking the OSP. A final risk factor is being 55 years of age or older at the time the OSP is taken.

July 22, 2009

Avandia Class Action Lawsuits and Increased Risk of Strokes

by Dr. Shezad Malik

If you are a patient taking Avandia and have suffered a heart attack or stroke, you need to seek legal advice as the time for filing a lawsuit may be running out, . Avandia is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus but studies have linked Avandia to an increased risk of adverse heart events.

Avandia was found to have an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, the problems it causes are similar to those caused by Vioxx. Avandia is believed to increase a certain subset of cholesterol that also increases the risk of heart attacks.

The FDA issued a safety alert in May, 2007, based on different studies, and found that people with underlying heart disease are at an increased risk of one of those events [heart attack or stroke] if they are taking Avandia. There was a meta-analysis, where researchers looked at different studies, and that showed a 30 to 40 percent greater risk of a heart attack in patients treated with Avandia than people treated with a placebo or other diabetes therapies.