Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

August 18, 2008

Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos and breathing asbestos fibers. It is a very serious disease, which is often at a very advanced stage when a diagnosis is made. The disease is uniformally fatal. The first asbestos lawsuit was filed in 1929, and with thousands of people being diagnosed with this condition each year.

Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos either directly or indirectly through family members who worked with the material. A mesothelioma cancer diagnosis can be made years after a family member carried home asbestos dust or fibers on their clothing, shoes, skin or in their hair.

August 18, 2008

FDA Receives 2 Reports of Death, 4 More Hospitalizations in Patients Using Type 2 Diabetes Drug Byetta

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The FDA today said it plans to strengthen warnings about life-threatening pancreas problems linked to the type 2 diabetes drug Byetta after getting two reports of deaths and four other hospitalizations in Byetta users.

Those patients had hemorrhagic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas with bleeding) or necrotizing pancreatitis (in which the inflamed pancreas destroys itself).

All six patients were hospitalized, and their Byetta treatment was stopped. The four survivors were still recovering at the time that the FDA learned of their illness.

Byetta and other potentially suspect drugs should be promptly discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected and not restarted if pancreatitis is confirmed, notes the FDA. Byetta, given by injection, was approved by the FDA in 2005.

August 18, 2008

FDA and Byetta Pancreatitis Side Effects

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Byetta is an injectable therapy to improve blood sugar control in patients with Type II diabetes, which is most often prescribed for patients who have not been able to achieve adequate control on metformin and/or a sulfonylurea, two often prescribed diabetes medications that are taken orally. Byetta has been prescribed alone or in conjunction with other diabetes medicines.

Byetta has side effects that can be harmful. October 2007, the FDA first warned that Byetta may cause acute pancreatitis and reviewed 30 reports of pancreatitis. On August 18, 2008, the FDA announced that the Agency has received six new reports of patients developing severe hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. All cases required hospitalization, with two patients dead and four still in recovery.

August 16, 2008

Defective Yamaha Rhino Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A California man, filed a personal injury claim against Yamaha Motor Corporation in California Superior Court. The lawsuit alleged that the Yamaha Rhino side-by-side is a dangerously unstable and defective all terrain vehicle.

In 2006, the 42 years old, was a passenger in a 2006 Yamaha Rhino when it tipped over at a low rate of speed. The man suffered severe crush injuries to his right leg from the roll bar and was left permanently damaged.

August 15, 2008

Texas Traumatic Brain Injury

by Dr. Shezad Malik

In Texas Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major public health issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 144,000 Texas sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, one every 4 minutes. More than 381,000 Texans are living with TBI disability and more than 5,700 are permanently disabled by TBI each year. The prevalence of disability from TBI is greater than from AIDS, Alzheimer’s, stroke, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy or spinal cord injury.

TBI is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. TBI accounts for more years of lost productivity than any other injury.

Read brochure here.

August 1, 2008

Texas Medical Board Disciplines 48 Physicians

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Fort Worth: The Texas Medical Board (TMB) has disciplined a Fort Worth doctor for failing to keep adequate medical records.

Dr. Bill E. Weldon’s probationary term, has been extended with this action. The initial probation was ordered by the TMB after a patient to whom the doctor prescribed drugs accidentally died.

Weldon was among 48 Texas doctors recently disciplined by the TMB, including two others in Tarrant County.

July 14, 2008

Digitek Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Actavis Totowa a New Jersey based company, earlier in the year started a nationwide recall of all strengths of the Digitek pills, which are distributed by Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. and UDL Laboratories Inc.

The maker of the heart drug Digitek faces several federal lawsuits in New Jersey, including one where a patient died, alleging the drug was dangerous and defective.

July 7, 2008

Boss Awarded $46.6 Million

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A Cleveland jury awarded the largest verdict in Ohio history — $46.6 million — to a man who they said was wrongfully fired last year.

Ronald Luri, 55, alleged that Republic Services Inc. of retaliation and of forging documents critical of his job performance after he refused to fire three of his employees — all about 60 years old — on the grounds that such actions would constitute age discrimination.

The jury awarded Luri $3.5 million as compensation for his lost wages as general manager of Republic’s Cleveland division, and $43.1 million in punitive damages as punishment for the company’s treatment of Luri.

July 2, 2008

Defective Drugs: Digitek Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Two months after a Digitek recall was issued due to manufacturing problems that allowed double strength tablets to be commercially released, at least three lawsuits have been filed. A number of additional cases are expected to be filed in the coming weeks, as hundreds of potential cases are currently being investigated throughout the country by individuals who are trying to determine if they may be entitled to compensation through a Digitek lawsuit.

Many people have described problems that surfaced during the months around the recall, but some have reported problems consistent with a Digitek overdose as early as 2006. Since the manufacturer has released very little information about the extent of the Digitek problems, all cases are being reviewed to determine if injuries could have caused by the manufacturing problems.

June 7, 2008

Texas Medical License and LIST

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The Texas Medical Board implemented this month, the Licensure Inquiry System of Texas, (LIST), an online license application tracking system that is designed to reduce the time required to process and issue physician licenses in Texas.

LIST allows applicants to communicate with TMB via internet access and the system creates an easily accessible archive of all such communication between TMB and the applicant.