Wrongful Death

August 27, 2009

Camp Lejeune Residents Blame Breast Cancer on the Water

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

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

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

August 25, 2009

Yaz Yasmin Birth Control Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

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

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

August 24, 2009

Denton Texas Jury says Doctor Failed to Diagnose Woman’s Cancer

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

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

August 24, 2009

Yaz Yasmin Birth Control Information and Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

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

August 24, 2009

Nuvaring Side Effects, Stroke and Pulmonary Embolism

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

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

August 23, 2009

Yaz Birth Control Dangers and Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

August 23, 2009

Yaz, Yasmin and Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, Heart Attack

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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

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

August 22, 2009

Popcorn Workers Lung – Bronchiolitis Obliterans

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

August 22, 2009

Yaz Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

August 22, 2009

Yaz and Yasmin: Birth Control Pill Has Caused Patient Deaths, Heart Attack, and Stroke

by Dr. Shezad Malik

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

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

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