Featured Lawsuits Category Archives — Page 2 of 7 — Lawsuit Information Center Blog Published by Personal Injury Lawyers Discussing Auto and Truck Accidents, Medical Malpractice and Products Liability Issues

February 28, 2019

FDA Says Uloric Gout Medication May Cause Death

The latest drug to catch the eye of mass tort lawyers is the gout medication Uloric. The FDA is concerned that Uloric has a greater risk of death compared to allopurinol, another gout medication. This follows a clinical trial which showed that Uloric may result in heart-related death.

What is gout?

Gout is a variation of arthritis that results when urate crystals accumulate around joints. Urate crystals are formed when there are abnormally high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is usually dissolvable in the bloodstream and urinated out. However, the body can sometimes either produce too much uric acid or excrete too little of it. Gout primarily affects the joint connected to the big toe. Its sufferers experience symptoms such as joint pain, inflammation, redness, and difficulties with moving around. Paul Manafort’s gout complications since he has gone to prison has been a big news story of late. This makes sense because inactivity can exacerbate gout symptoms.

Increased levels of uric acid increase the risks of developing gout. Eating excessive amounts of certain foods increases uric acid levels. This includes steak, organ meats, and seafood. Non-meats that can increase uric acid levels include alcoholic beverages and drinks containing fructose. Obesity also causes the body to produce more uric acids, making it difficult to remove much of it. Diseases and medical conditions such as untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, which also increase the risk of developing gout.

September 26, 2018

Roundup Cancer Lawsuits | 5 Things You Should Know

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The Roundup weed killer cancer lawsuits have gathered a lot of recent attention. A $289 million verdict will do that.

These cases are now pushing along with great steam. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in the Northern District of California is pushing to have MDL cases go before a federal jury by February 2019. Judge Chhabria has been presiding over all federal Roundup lawsuits. Many of these lawsuits allege that Monsanto failed to warn consumers that their Roundup weed killer brand might cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.

Roundup

November 14, 2016

Ovarian Cancer Talcum Powder Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Out of nowhere, talcum powder ovarian cancer cases became the hottest mass tort case. What happened and where are we now in these lawsuits?

The Product and the Big Question

For many decades, talcum powder has enjoyed great success as a consumer product. While young mothers often eagerly sprinkle it on their infants during diaper changes to help absorb wetness and prevent diaper rash, other women used the powdery substance as a regular part of their feminine hygiene practices. Also, both male and female

Juries have not been impressed with Johnson & Johnson’s Arguments

athletes routinely use talcum powder products to try to lower their chances of developing athlete’s foot and other fungal infections.

Only limited complaints have been lodged for many years about the possibility that talcum powder could cause ovarian cancer. However, many women are now challenging their earlier beliefs about this product’s safety. In fact, the first successful lawsuit against talcum powder product giant, Johnson & Johnson, has now been filed and won. Continue reading

November 10, 2016

Will Nexium Cause You Kidney Problems?

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Patients who experience acid indigestion, heartburn or other stomach ailments often seek relief from their symptoms by taking one or more drugs like Nexium. Many patients have gotten great relief from heartburn and related symptoms, which experience little if any side effects.

Those are the happy ending stories. But new research studies indicate that serious Nexium side effects (including kidney disease) can develop when prescribed or OTC (over-the-counter) heartburn medications are taken in higher doses — or for extended time periods.

Back in the 1980s when drugs like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid were first marketed in the United States, many physicians believed they could benefit their patients because the risk of using the was outweighed by the benefits. Growing scientific literature, including new studies published in 2016 in JAMA Internal Medicine and the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, question that assumption. Continue reading

April 13, 2015

FDA Adds Testosterone Drug Warnings

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

For months now, we have been writing about the onslaught of information pouring in regarding testosterone therapy and the negative side-effects associated with its use.

Testosterone products, prescribed to treat low testosterone (“Low T”) in men, have become popular among young men seeking physical enhancement, as well as older men who want to counter signs of aging. Research, however, shows that low testosterone treatments may double the risk of heart attack for young men with heart disease as well as for men 65 years of age and older, even those who have had no heart problems. Is it worth the risk if not medically necessary? The FDA says no.

January 23, 2015

Pennsylvania Xarelto Lawsuits Become Mass Tort

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

As the fight against Bayer and Johnson & Johnson over the controversial drug, Xarelto, wages on, Pennsylvania has organized claims floating around state courts into a mass tort. The anticoagulant (blood thinner), which has already been linked to bleeding and in some cases death, has prompted at least 70 individual suits in Pennsylvania, each claiming that the drug’s manufacturers didn’t warn users about the risks associated with the drug. While Xarelto does its job as a blood thinner, the main concern is that this drug never stops doing that job, and there is no antidote on the market to reverse the effects should a user ever need that to happen. Considering the sheer volume of cases piling up on Pennsylvania’s dockets, the Administrative Judge (judge in charge) of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, streamlined proceedings into a “mass tort.”

January 13, 2015

Testosterone Litigation | 2015 Low T Lawsuits Status Update

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

With roughly 300 complaints currently pending before U.S. District Judge Mathew Kennelly, and several thousand expected to be filed before all is said and done, Judge Kennelly of the Northern District of Illinois has appointed four testosterone drug attorneys to serve as liaisons with state courts where dozens of additional cases are pending. In an effort to increase coordination of the litigation, the role of the state-federal court liaisons will be to promote better coordination for the rapidly accumulating host of testosterone lawsuits being filed.

December 1, 2014

The Dangers of Avelox and Neuropathy

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Avelox can cause peripheral neuropathy within days of use. This condition is a type of nerve damage. It is extremely serious. It can cause muscle weakness, numbness and pain that can potentially last a lifetime. We are rapidly learning more about the connection between Avelox and neuropathy and it is leading to lawsuits. If you believe you have a potential claim, call us at 800-553-8082 or get for a free online consultation.

November 3, 2014

Testosterone Lawsuits 2018 Update

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Low testosterone levels have been linked to fatigue, muscle and bone loss, and a decrease in libido. If you are over 35 and these things are hitting you… well, it sucks. But, all too often in 2018, the cure is worse than the original disease. There is a lot of good science out there suggesting that these therapies increase the risk for cardiac injury in a group already prone to heart disease. A lot of lawsuits have followed. This article explains where these class action lawsuits are now and what plaintiff can expect moving forward.

The Premise of These Cases

In January 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was investigating potential testosterone therapy risks. This was prompted after several studies suggested that the side effects of testosterone treatments may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and death. The risks may be as much as double for a heart attack in young men with heart disease as well as for men 65 years of age and older, even those who have had no heart problems. Additional concerns with the products include the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which can lead to life-threatening complications including pulmonary embolisms. DVT is where the body develops blood clots in the deep veins, most commonly in the legs. These blood clots can break off and travel through the body resulting in potentially life-threatening complications.

The first lawsuits were filed four days after the FDA announced its investigation. Is that a little too soon? Probably. Does it underscore the idea that lawyers are vultures? Absolutely. But all of this, as I talk about below, distracts us from the real issue: are low T drugs killing people?

September 9, 2014

Xarelto Lawsuit Update | 2015 Status of Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Malik ‘Poot’ Carr: It’s a cold world, Bodie.
Preston ‘Bodie’ Broadus: Thought you said it was getting warmer, man.
Malik ‘Poot’ Carr: World going one way, people another.

I’ve been watching The Wire again of late. I thought of this exchange when I found out that despite the Xarelto lawsuits being filed and the massive number of television commercials you are seeing from personal injury lawyers talking about the risks of Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer intend to move forward with plans to push the FDA drug for additional uses. This comes despite all of these excessive bleeding lawsuits and the fact that the FDA has already shot down these attempts on three separate occasions. The litigation (and justice?) world is going one way, the business people at these drug companies are going another.

The game plan to conduct three studies to investigate the efficacy and safety of Xarelto in people who have had an embolic stroke of undetermined source, people with peripheral artery disease undergoing peripheral artery interventions, and individuals who have had an acute coronary syndrome.

Note: There is an important January 2015 update below.