Product Liability Lawyer Blog

June 17, 2014

Knee Reconstruction Market to Exceed $5 Billion by 2020

Three medical device companies, Zimmer, DePuy and Stryker, manufacture the majority of knee replacement and reconstruction devices in the United States. According to a recent Global News Wire report, these three companies, along with Smith & Nephew, are the “main players” driving the growth in the market for knee replacement products.

Unfortunately, medical devices being implanted in patients with knee troubles may not be very safe and may have certain serious complications. More than 600 federal lawsuits have been filled against Zimmer because of complications with the company’s NexGen knee implants and problems have also been reported with both the Scorpio implants from Stryker and the OXINIUM devices from Smith & Nephew.
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June 15, 2014

Johnson & Johnson’s Defective Hip Implants Cause Worldwide Problems

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

DePuy is a subsidy of Johnson & Johnson, which is one of the world’s largest medical device companies. DePuy is also the manufacturer of a product called the DePuy ASR, which was implanted in around 100,000 patients worldwide. Unfortunately, the DePuy ASR products turned out to be very dangerous with a high failure rate and major risks for patients. Evidence indicates that not only was the defective medical device unsafe but also that widespread failure of the device may even have been hidden from surgeons working with DePuy to monitor for complications.

Throughout the United States, lawsuits have been filed against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson in order to obtain compensation for problems caused by the hip implant products. However, the complications and damages caused by the metal-on-metal hip implant products were not restricted to the U.S. alone. ABC recently reported a class action in Australia filed on behalf of hundreds of patients. Class actions allow many patients to recover compensation in one lawsuit, with all claims arising from a similar harm.
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June 13, 2014

Patient Speaks Out About Morcellator Risks

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A 53-year-old chemist and college instructor was diagnosed with fibroids earlier this year. Fibroids are very common among women and, while they can cause bleeding and pressure, fibroids are not generally considered dangerous and are benign growths. However, the patient was scheduled for a minimally-invasive hysterectomy in order to remove her uterus through a small incision as a method of treating the symptomatic fibroids.

Her procedure was to involve the use of a morcellator. At the time, morcellators were widely used as a method of treating fibroids. The morcellators were used to slice up fibroids or tissue growths so the tissue could be removed in pieces through a smaller incision. However, the patient read about a debate among doctors in which some physicians were expressing growing concern about the use of this medical device. She raised her concerns with her doctor, who thought that the risk of complications was rare but who respected her position and performed a procedure removing her uterus vaginally without the use of the power morcellator.
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June 11, 2014

Drugs for Low Testosterone- Worth the Risk?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Androgel and other drugs for low testosterone are marketed to men with promises that the medications will make them more virile and stronger. Unfortunately, this marketing material left out a lot about potential risks and side effects of low-T treatments. Recently, CBS published an article about whether drugs for low testosterone were worth the risk.

Some medical experts continue to prescribe testosterone replacement medications even as lawsuits form and a federal panel considers whether multidistrict litigation should be formed.

Those who have suffered side effects or injuries after using low-T drugs may not have had the chance to determine if the drugs were worth the risk, as manufacturers generally did not provide adequate warning of the dangers. A Boston testosterone replacement lawyer should be consulted for help if you wish to pursue legal action for complications arising from the use of testosterone drugs.
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June 7, 2014

Takeda Sanctioned for Misconduct in Actos Litigation

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Takeda Pharmaceuticals is facing pending legal action in a multidistrict litigation because the company’s drug, Actos, significantly increases the risk of patients developing bladder cancer. Plaintiffs have been successful in past cases in taking legal action against the pharmaceutical company, with one jury awarding $9 million in damages. However, some plaintiffs harmed by Actos have been having difficulties building their cases because Takeda Pharmaceuticals has been engaged in behavior designed to prevent them from getting documents and information they need.

In a product liability case or any personal injury action, defendants have to turn over certain evidence during the discovery period. If they fail to provide information as required, the attorneys for the plaintiffs can make a motion to the judge and the judge may sanction the defendant. Victims should speak with a defective drug lawyer for help taking legal action, understanding their rights during discovery, and asking the court for sanctions when a defendant does not comply with rules of civil litigation.
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June 4, 2014

Removal of Vaginal Mesh Can Have Long-Term Consequences

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Vaginal mesh has been clearly demonstrated to cause serious side effects for many patients. Unfortunately, mesh products can cause significant pain, especially during intercourse. Vaginal mesh can also result in organ perforation, infection, mesh erosion and recurrent pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among the other serious symptoms and complications.

At the annual meting of the American Urological Association in Orlando, doctors discussed the impact of the removal of vaginal mesh. Unfortunately, while removal may help to relieve patient symptoms, it may not solve the health problems that the mesh has caused. An experienced transvaginal mesh lawyer should be consulted by patients who need to undergo corrective surgery because of mesh or who experience lingering problems after they have had vaginal mesh implanted.
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May 31, 2014

Morcellator Use Can Boost Cancer Risks

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Uterine fibroids are very common during a woman’s childbearing years, with as many as three out of four women developing fibroids at some point in their lives. Fibroids are often asymptomatic and are benign and almost never develop into cancer. They form from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus, and they range from tiny seedlings to bulky masses that can cause the uterus to become enlarged. Fibroids are often removed surgically and, for many women, a power morcellator is used to grind down tissue in order to make it possible to remove the fibroids through a very small incision.

Unfortunately, some women who are diagnosed with fibroids actually have an undiagnosed uterine sarcoma within the allegedly-benign growths. When a morcellator is used, it can significantly worsen the patient’s chance of survival if it turns out that she has an undiagnosed uterine sarcoma. Because of these risks, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory recently warning against the use of this medical device. Unfortunately, many women already had a procedure using a morcellator and their cancer risk was made much worse as a result. Those who are affected should contact a medical malpractice lawyer for help taking legal action.
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May 28, 2014

Boston Lipitor Attorneys Admitted to MDL

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

On February 18, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled that all pending federal Lipitor lawsuits should be consolidated into a multidistrict litigation.

The Boston defective drug lawyers at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers LLC have filed a Lipitor case for a victim affected by this dangerous drug and our firm has been admitted to the MDL. If you or a loved one took Lipitor and developed Type 2 diabetes or other complications, call to schedule your free consultation to learn how we can help.

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) makes it possible for one judge to hear many similar cases arising from a defective product or dangerous drug. While all individual plaintiffs retain their independent claims, pre-trial motions and decisions affecting all claims can be ruled on just once by the judge who has been assigned to the case. The cases have been consolidated in South Carolina and are being presided over by U.S. District Jude Richard M. Gergel.
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May 25, 2014

Older Stryker Pain Pump Lawsuit Will Not Proceed, Eighth Circuit Rules

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has effectively dismissed plaintiff efforts to seek damages against a medical pain pump device implanted post-surgery, finding there was no way at the time of the procedure the manufacturer could have recognized the device’s potential risk.

The case of Mack, et al. v. Stryker Corp., et al. focused on a 2002 surgery.

Boston product liability lawyers know, while this decision may impact some similarly-situated cases that date back that far, newer cases should still have strong standing. The primary issue in this case was what the company knew or should have known regarding the risks at the time the device was implanted in this particular patient. The district court ruled – and the Eighth Circuit affirmed – that such collective knowledge of any long-lasting, detrimental consequences was limited. Literature from the medical community at-large did not indicate any significant problems.
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May 21, 2014

Teague, et al v. Johnson & Johnson, et al – TVM Defendant Motion to Transfer Mass Tort Back to Federal Court Denied

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Defendants in a mass tort involving some 702 women claiming harm from transvaginal mesh medical devices were denied a request to have the case moved back to federal court, where they perceive an advantage.

In theory, Boston transvaginal mesh lawyers know that both sides should be able to receive a fair trial regardless of the court in which the case is heard. However, some federal courts have accepted defenses and rulings that are somewhat more favorable to corporate interests. This is why defendants aggressively pursue the option whenever possible.

Here, in Teague, et al v. Johnson & Johnson, et al., they were unsuccessful, at least as far as 650 plaintiff cases were concerned.
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