Legal News
Lawyers and Settlements 
News articles about lawsuits filed, settlements reached and verdicts rendered in legal cases dealing with personal injury news, defective product news, bad drugs news and other news issues. Also interviews with people who have had their lives forever changed by bad drugs, investment fraud, personal injury, defective products and negligent employers.
Post Frequency: 9.1/day Last Entry: November 20, 2009 at 10:00:00 Recent Entries: 2482
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Children's Tylenol Linked to Increased Risk of Asthma
Posted on November 20, 2009Vancouver, B.C.: A new study could make parents rethink how they treat mild pain in their children, as an article in the November issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal Chest suggests that acetaminophen -- the active ingredient in popular over-the-counter medications like Children's Tylenol -- may increase the risk of asthma in users.
Stem Cells Show Potential in Treating Cerebral Palsy in Children
Posted on November 20, 2009Denver, CO: In a move that could mean expanded medical testing with controversial genetic material, stem cells taken from an umbilical cord have shown great success in treating a three-year-old girl born with cerebral palsy.
Two Killed, 21 Hurt in Minnesota Tour Bus Crash
Posted on November 19, 2009Austin, MN: A tour bus carrying a load of passengers home from a casino visit went out of control and skidded off a freeway outside Austin, Minnesota late yesterday. CNN is reporting this morning that two passengers were killed and 21 were injured when the tour bus overturned on Interstate 90, about three miles west of Austin.
Florida County Weighs Changes for Overtime Rules
Posted on November 19, 2009Broward County, FL: In a state beleaguered by the current financial crisis, the Broward County School District is attempting to save money by changing the rules for overtime pay to its employees.
Warning Labels Expand to Include Denture Adhesive Zinc Poisoning Risks
Posted on November 19, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Consumer advocates report that the makers of a prominent denture cream have added the risk of denture adhesive zinc poisoning to the warning labels adorning the packaging of their oral adherent products.
NSF Patient Sues over MRI Contrast Agent
Posted on November 19, 2009Chesterfield, MO: A man who claims to have suffered from MRI contrast side effects and MRI health risks has launched a lawsuit against the hospital that administered a series of MRI procedures that eventually left him with early-stage Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF).
Amiodarone and Simvastatin Anything But a Dynamic Duo
Posted on November 19, 2009Kansas City, MO: The relationship between simvastatin and amiodarone, together with the amiodarone interaction identified as simvastatin rhabdomyolysis, came to the forefront in August of last year when the FDA issued an alert to health care professionals regarding the risk for rhabdomyolysis when simvastatin is used in association with amiodarone.
Reglan Side Effects Frustrating for Patients
Posted on November 18, 2009Miami, FL: The Reglan side effects may start so slowly that a patient does not even pay attention to them at first: some excessive blinking, facial twitches and maybe a sudden leg jerk every once in a while. But after a while, the movements become impossible to ignore...
Construction Accident Injures One, Kills Another in Kansas City
Posted on November 18, 2009Kansas City, MO: A dramatic construction accident left one man dead and another seriously injured when a portable boom lift with a basket on top fell over during the construction of a new performing arts center.
Stunt Pilot Walks Away from Plane Crash
Posted on November 18, 2009Siloam Springs, AR: As a third generation stunt pilot, Matt Younkin is used to defying death from inside his plane. Yet even for a trained stuntman, surviving a plane accident is a miraculous feat.
Another Study Shows Potential Risk of SSRI Birth Defects
Posted on November 18, 2009New York, NY: Another study has been published suggesting a potential for SSRI birth defects in children exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) prior to birth. The study found that babies whose mothers used the antidepressants while pregnant were at greater risk of developing congenital heart defects and other SSRI side effects.
Shoulder Pain Pump Lawsuits Continue
Posted on November 18, 2009Houston, TX: Victims of debilitating shoulder injuries resulting from use of shoulder pain pumps are launching lawsuits against the manufacturer of the pump?a product that was supposed to help, not hinder, recovery.
Asbestos Contamination in Montana: Can Libby Be Saved?
Posted on November 18, 2009Libby, MT: It may be too late for the workers and residents of Libby, Montana who have suffered from asbestos health issues and battled mesothelioma lawsuits for years. But now representatives from the Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine are going in with a team of investigators to deal with the future of Libby.
ARBITER 6-HALTS Results Not Good for Zetia
Posted on November 17, 2009Houston, TX: Results of the ARBITER 6-HALTS trial of Zetia (ezetimibe) and Niaspan (niacin) show that Niaspan is more effective than Zetia as a cholesterol treatment. This news has caused some doctors to question whether or not to use Zetia to treat patients with high cholesterol...
$1 million in stimulus funds to improve technologies and reduce MRI health risks
Posted on November 17, 2009Houston, TX: Houston's Rice University, in conjunction with the Texas Heart institute, is the recipient of a $1 million Challenge Grant from the National Institute of Health to improve the sensitivity of current MRI technology while lowering the chance of MRI health risks, the most common of which is the toxic metal known as gadolinium.
Treating depression during pregnancy enhances the risk of newborn birth defects
Posted on November 17, 2009Philadelphia, PA: Pregnant women face any number of complex problems on a daily basis, so it is not surprising that they often experience deep depression. Yet research on the most common form of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including popular depression medication Lexapro, has linked the drugs to newborn birth defects.
Man Sues Hospital After Developing Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Posted on November 17, 2009St. Louis, MO: A lawsuit was filed today on behalf of a man who developed a rare disorder called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) after he was injected with gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at St. Luke?s Hospital in Chesterfield, MO.
Seven-Year-Old Oregon Girl Back from the SJS Brink
Posted on November 17, 2009Portland, OR: She's only seven and already a survivor of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The good news is that Mackenzie Armstrong has fought the symptoms that threatened to rob her of her sight and potentially her life.
FTC Brings the Hammer Down for Negative Option Consumer Fraud
Posted on November 17, 2009San Francisco, CA: A smoking cessation enterprise has been cited by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for consumer and financial fraud. The company?s apparent negative option marketing plan duped smokers trying to quit into believing they had enrolled into a so-called "free trial" that was anything but free.
Non-Compliant California Car Wash Facilities the Focus of Labor Code Crackdown
Posted on November 16, 2009San Francisco, CA: The California labor code has a fierce ally in Angela Bradstreet, the State Labor Commissioner. Bradstreet oversees California state labor laws and leaves no stone unturned in her quest to protect the rights of California workers.
Famed Civil Rights Lawyer Subject of New Film
Posted on November 16, 2009Wilmington, DE: Human rights and civil rights law, the cornerstone of democracy, was the battle cry for the late William Kunstler, a legendary lawyer who took on civil and human rights cases presenting impossible odds, defended the seemingly indefensible and represented unsavory violations of human rights law...
Tribune cancels employee stock plan
Posted on November 16, 2009Chicago, IL: Media conglomerate the Tribune Company, owner of such journalistic stalwarts as the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Sun Sentinel, has announced that it will be canceling its employee stock plan once the company's bankruptcy protection elapses in the next year.
State workers earn double through California overtime pay
Posted on November 16, 2009San Francisco, CA: A small group of workers in the Golden State are making more than double their annual salaries due to a lack of comprehensive California overtime laws regulating the amount of overtime an employee can work.
"Heparin Killed My Father"
Posted on November 16, 2009Portland, OR: Debbie's father passed away in July. His death certificate states that a severe heparin allergic reaction was the secondary cause of death. But Debbie believes the drug was the primary cause of death and wants to know why his autopsy report says that the pathology tests are incomplete...
New Rules Put Limits on Overdraft Fees
Posted on November 16, 2009Tacoma, WA: For consumers who are tired of paying excessive bank overdraft fees, some relief is on the horizon. Next summer, new federal regulations will put limits on bank overdraft fees, requiring banks to notify customers before charging overdraft fees.
Canadian Police Officer Arrested for DUI Twice in Two Months
Posted on November 15, 2009Vancouver, BC: It's bad enough when a DUI occurs, but it?s worse when a cop is caught driving under the influence. Even worse?when it happens twice.
Mail scheme led to $400,000 in stock broker fraud
Posted on November 15, 2009St. Louis, MO: A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to charges that he perpetrated mail-based stock broker fraud that successfully conned investors out of more than $400,000 according to a report from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Reap.
Vytorin and Zetia Setback
Posted on November 15, 2009Washington, DC: How well do Vytorin and Zetia work? According to a new study released today, possibly not at all. Doctors are now questioning whether these two blockbuster cholesterol drugs should even be prescribed.
"My Brother wasn't Warned about MRI Health Risks"
Posted on November 15, 2009San Clemente, CA: Even though Mike?s brother had kidney problems, he still underwent several MRIs with a gadolinium-based contrast agent. According to Mike, his brother was never warned about MRI health risks; patients with kidney problems are particularly at risk of developing Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)...
New Jersey Lawmaker to Push for Transparency in Debit Card Fees
Posted on November 15, 2009Newark, NJ: Prepaid debit cards and the related prepaid debit card fees are akin to "buying a house without getting to look around inside," said New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). "You have no idea what you're getting into until it's too late...
Zicam User Says Some Food Now Tastes "Like Rotted Garbage"
Posted on November 14, 2009Altoona, FL: Barry L. is one of many patients who say they have suffered from Zicam smell loss. And like the other patients, Barry is angry about the Zicam side effects. Unfortunately, Barry has been told that he will never regain his sense of smell.
Former Death Row Inmate Killed in Texas Car Crash
Posted on November 14, 2009Tarrant County, TX: An auto accident that occurred in Texas recently killed a man who had just been released from prison, where he was languishing on death row.
Whistleblower attacks hospital for violating Florida labor law
Posted on November 14, 2009Naples, FL: A children's hospital is the subject of Florida labor law arbitration, with a former respiratory therapist claiming that she was wrongfully terminated after speaking out about mislabeled hospital equipment.
Tylenol Found to Reduce Effectiveness of Vaccines
Posted on November 13, 2009Rochester, NY: Tylenol, a medicine cabinet staple in millions of households, has been getting some bad press lately. Linked in the past to acetaminophen toxicity, potential liver damage, and other Tylenol side effects, the product identified as Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets was recalled by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) after consumers reported that the pills made them nauseous and had an uncharacteristic smell and taste.
Levaquin Side Effects Ground Outstanding Pilot
Posted on November 13, 2009New York, NY: Greg Downs knows all about Levaquin and Levaquin side effects, including (but not limited to) Levaquin tendon rupture. His troubles with Levaquin began in 2006, when he was prescribed the powerful antibiotic for diverticulitis.
One Woman Dead and One Police Officer Injured in Connecticut Motorcycle Accident
Posted on November 13, 2009Cheshire, CT: A tragic motorcycle accident has left one woman dead and an off-duty state trooper injured in Connecticut after a jarring collision with a passing car.
Inmate sues sheriff over slip and fall
Posted on November 13, 2009Cook County, Il: In a move that borders on irony, an inmate at the Cook county correctional facility is suing the sheriff's office after sustaining a slip and fall injury due to alleged negligence from jail personnel.
Chantix Blamed for Attempted Suicide and Psychosis
Posted on November 13, 2009Raleigh, NC: It's tragic enough that Chantix nearly destroyed Kristi's life, but she also has to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills after the smoking-cessation drug caused her to attempt suicide and more. "I want to warn anyone considering Chantix who has suffered from depression to never take this drug," says Kristi.
Denture Cream Users Sticking It to Denture Adhesive Makers
Posted on November 13, 2009Marshall, TX: More lawsuits have been filed by consumers suffering from denture cream poisoning after using products such as Fixodent denture adhesive and Super Poligrip. The lawsuits allege that consumers were not properly warned of the risk of denture cream zinc poisoning if they overused their denture adhesive.
Toyota Lawsuit: Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Posted on November 12, 2009Los Angeles, CA: A class action lawsuit filed against Toyota Motor Corporation on November 5, 2009 alleges that owners of some Toyota and Lexus vehicles have "experienced instances of unintended acceleration" in their vehicles. According to just-auto...
Experts Claim Chinese Drywall Safe, But Jury Still Out
Posted on November 12, 2009Tampa, FL: Homeowners had little doubt that Chinese drywall posed health risks for their households. However, a recent symposium in Tampa concluded that Chinese drywall is not as grave a problem as most people believe it to be.
Intel Antitrust Settlement With Rival AMD Worth $1.25 Billion
Posted on November 12, 2009Sunnyvale, CA: An ongoing antitrust dispute between giant computer chip maker Intel and smaller Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has been settled with Intel's agreement today to pay AMD $1.25 billion to settle various antitrust and patent disputes.
Couple complains of food poisoning on Royal Caribbean Cruise
Posted on November 12, 2009Miami, Fl: For many couples a European cruise is a romantic way to reconnect with one's significant other in a relaxed and often luxurious setting, but for one couple their trip aboard the MS Independence of the Sea was anything but, as they both succumbed to foodborne illness within days of departure.
Family law takes on parents who smoke
Posted on November 12, 2009Middletown, OH: A recent ruling in Middletown may go a long way towards lowering the rates of throat cancer in children as the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals has upheld a previous decision to forbid smoking around a child - a ruling that could greatly shape future child custody laws.
Class Action Attorney Wants to Know "What?s in Their Wallet"
Posted on November 12, 2009Atlanta, GA: Capitol One, marketed as the ?hassle free credit card,? is being sued for consumer fraud by some disgruntled customers who are fed up with the company asking them for more and more of ?what?s in their wallet.? Over the last 10 months, the company has tripled borrowing costs for cardholders...
Navigating the California Labor Law often Requires Legal Advice
Posted on November 12, 2009Hollywood, CA: Tomorrow is Christine's last day at a job she enjoyed and held for two years. "I complained to the HR department about my boss making me work 10-hour days and my employer gave me two options: accept a demotion or quit," says Christine, who questions whether her employer violated the the California labor law.
Risks of OSP and Kidneys Articulated One Year Before FDA Alert
Posted on November 11, 2009San Diego, CA: A group that knows a lot about oral sodium phosphate and OSP kidney damage recently wrapped up its 42nd annual conference in San Diego. The yearly meeting and scientific exposition, dubbed "Renal Week" by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), took place from October 27th to November 1st.
Flammable Bathrobes at the heart of defective product personal injury lawsuits
Posted on November 11, 2009Hartford, CT: Consumers may want to re-think giving bathrobes to friends and relations this holiday season, as a Connecticut woman is suing the Blair Company after her mother was burned to death while wearing one of the company's allegedly flammable chenille bathrobes, in the first of a potential string of defective product personal injury lawsuits.
Health scans seen as risky in wake of ct radiation overdose case
Posted on November 11, 2009Miami, FL: Medical science has provided modern man with many tests to better facilitate preventative health care, yet some of these tests - notably the CT brain scan ? may potentially be more harmful to the patient in the long run.
Asbestos Exposure on the USS Independence
Posted on November 11, 2009Great Lakes, IL: When Steve was 17 years old he enlisted in the Navy as a boiler technician. He didn't know that his job description would also include asbestos clean-up. "We removed asbestos without respirators for three months," says Steve. "Once the medical officer found out, he demanded that we get issued respirators but the damage had already been done...
California Employees Misclassified as Exempt from Overtime Pay
Posted on November 11, 2009San Jose, CA: With the economy as it is, it is no wonder that many employees are working extra-long hours to earn a little extra money, thanks to California overtime laws. However, some employees are learning that overtime pay in California is not all it is cracked up to be?especially when their employers misclassify them as exempt from overtime.
Two Plane Crashes, Two Mysteries
Posted on November 11, 2009Tallahassee, FL: Two plane crashes, two mysteries. A plane crashed into the forest north of the Tallahassee Airport last week, killing two experienced pilots. Then, three days ago, a single-engine plane went down near San Antonio, killing three.
China-Built Strollers Recalled for Amputation Hazard
Posted on November 10, 2009Washington, DC: A stroller that has sold nearly a million units was voluntary recalled by the manufacturer after a dozen children caught their fingers in the hinge mechanism and were forced to have their fingertips amputated.
Fired Bank Whistleblower Fights Back in New Jersey
Posted on November 10, 2009East Brunswick, NJ: In May of last year, bank employee and whistleblower Richard Boywitt approached his boss about a potential money-laundering scheme involving a bank client and two tellers. As the Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Officer for Brunswick Bank and Trust, it was his job to report any suspicious activity.
Heartbreaking Loss Surrounding Washington Car Crash
Posted on November 10, 2009Spokane, WA: Almost four months to the day before his own death, Zachary Smith saw his best friend killed in a car crash when his vehicle spun out of control in Kootenai County, Washington. Brandon Hay was not wearing a seat belt.
Pharmaceutical company pays large settlement over Seroquel side effects
Posted on November 10, 2009Washington, D.C.: Britain-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has reached settlements on two whistle-blower lawsuits and two federal investigations of the Seroquel side effcts.
Judge Requests Mass Tort Status for Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella
Posted on November 10, 2009Passaic, NJ: Due to the increasing number of Yaz/Yasmin and Ocella lawsuits alleging that the oral contraceptives have caused strokes and other serious health problems, the New Jersey judiciary is considering a judge's request for mass tort status against the manufacturer, Bayer Corp...
Salmonella Spice Outbreak
Posted on November 10, 2009Los Angeles, CA: The salmonella lawyers at Simon & Luke continue to prosecute cases from the West Coast outbreak of rare Salmonella Rissen. In the past year, 90 people across five states have been sickened by this strain of foodborne illness, and 22 have been hospitalized...
Gaiam Water Bottles: Who Can Consumers Trust Now?
Posted on November 10, 2009Toledo, OH: Now that you know that SIGG water bottles and Gaiam water bottles leach Bisphenol-A (BPA), you may be wondering if there is any water bottle you can trust.
Research links antidepressants like Celexa to premature births
Posted on November 09, 2009Seattle, WA: Despite the physical and mental strain that is commonly shouldered by pregnant women, expectant mothers-to-be might want to stay clear of antidepressants medications, as a recent study sees drugs used to treat depression like Celexa linked to birth defects.
Lawyer who won $1 billion Fen-Phen settlement dies
Posted on November 09, 2009Houston, TX: Houston Attorney John O'Quinn, widely known and respected in legal circles for his lucrative Fen-Phen settlement and successful prosecution of the tobacco industry, was killed in a car accident late last week.
LINA / CIGNA Shows What is Wrong With Healthcare
Posted on November 09, 2009Glendale, CA: Under the current healthcare system, patients often have no protection against their health insurers? treatment decisions. Recent events, however, have compelled the California Insurance Commissioner to put pressure on the Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA insurance), which also operates under the CIGNA Life Insurance Company of North America brand, to reform some of its unsavory activities in the processing of claims.
Foodborne Illness Results in Two Separate Recalls
Posted on November 08, 2009Chautauqua, NY: Two recent cases of foodborne illness?which may or may not be related?bring more attention to the food production industry and alleged lapses in safety and quality control that have resulted in food poisoning, including two deaths.
Flu season brings new remedies and reminders of Zicam side effects
Posted on November 08, 2009Seattle, WA: With the highly contagious H1N1flu spreading early and the world heading into the flu season proper, many consumers are switching to homeopathic medications - a fact that has the FDA up in arms over possible side effects, like Zicam smell loss.
Paxil Birth Defects Lawsuits: One Down, Hundreds More To Go
Posted on November 07, 2009Philadelphia, PA: The recent court victory for a family who alleged that their son suffered from Paxil birth defects could have a major impact on future Paxil lawsuits. This particular lawsuit awarded $2.5 million to the plaintiffs.
New treatment for acid reflux may provide alternative to Reglan side effects
Posted on November 07, 2009Boston, MA: Surgeons at Boston Medical Center have developed an incisionless treatment for acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that could prevent sufferers of the condition from exposure to Reglan's neurological side effects.
More Banks Close, Bankruptcies Expected to Rise
Posted on November 07, 2009Washington, DC: While it was painful, the recent bankruptcy of General Motors (GM) shows that bankruptcy law can be a viable option in the face of insurvivable bankruptcy debt and other challenges stemming from an injured economy. As with GM, many companies and private individuals have emerged from the pain of bankruptcy stronger, with the help of a personal bankruptcy lawyer...
PPH and Fen-Phen Research Ongoing
Posted on November 07, 2009Sacramento, CA: For years, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) was a medical mystery. Scientists studied it for over 100 years before formally categorizing it as a disease, and even today the medical community is divided as to whether PPH is the result of a single factor or many...
Internet Fraud: There's Something New All the Time
Posted on November 06, 2009Ontario, CA: Most by now are sensitive to the Internet scam that arrives in the form of a letter from someone you don?t know, poorly written with broken English, asking for your help in retrieving offshore funds and promising a portion of the proceeds...
Debilitating Botox Treatment Results in Medical Malpractice Suit
Posted on November 06, 2009Jefferson City, MO Richard Hart, who suffers from torticollis, filed a medical malpractice suit this week alleging that the botox treatment he received has left him with a number of debilitating health conditions, including paralysis of his respiratory muscles.
New York Attorney General Launches Antitrust Action Against Intel
Posted on November 06, 2009New York, NY: The Attorney General of New York this week hit computer chip giant Intel with an antitrust lawsuit, alleging unfair marketing and business practices in an effort to shut out competitor Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The lawsuit was launched Wednesday.
Levaquin Side Effects "Like Getting Hit with a Fastball"
Posted on November 06, 2009El Paso, TX: When Charles H. (name withheld) first started taking Levaquin, he experienced some minor aches and pains. However, he did not associate them with Levaquinuntil his most recent exposure to the medication.
Chantix suicides may rise under healthcare reform bills
Posted on November 06, 2009Trenton, NJ: A part of the healthcare reform bills being levied around the House these days is a provision that would provide funds for smoking cessation drugs for Medicaid subscribers. This should mean increased profits for Pfizer, maker of anti-smoking drug Chantix, but might put consumers at greater risks of Chantix's suicidal side effects.
California cop killed in gruesome car accident
Posted on November 06, 2009Santa Barbara, CA: Officer Jarrod Martinez of the California Highway Patrol was the victim of a tragic collision this week, making him one of the latest officers whose lives have been claimed by California auto accidents.
State Farm Urged to Settle Potential Bad Faith Insurance Claim
Posted on November 06, 2009Biloxi, MO: A judge in a bad faith insurance case with a wealth of experience in settling insurance claims has urged State Farm to settle an alleged bad faith insurance claim before the matter goes to trial.
GE Sued Over MRI Contrasting Agent-Induced NSF
Posted on November 06, 2009St. Louis, MO: Mary Crabtree is suing General Electric, GE Healthcare AS and other entities, alleging she developed Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) as a result of being given gadolinium-based contrast agents ? or GBCAs ? for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance arteriography/angiography (MRA).
Gas Pipeline Explodes in Texas
Posted on November 05, 2009Bushland, TX: Three people were injured following the explosion of a natural gas pipeline near Amarillo, TX early this morning. The injured, who were suffering from burns, were taken to a local hospital.
Asbestos Mesothelioma ? The Legal Down and Dirty
Posted on November 05, 2009Beverly Hills, CA: Asbestos mesothelioma is a devastating and fatal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Research by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that the number of deaths from asbestos mesothelioma has increased during the last 10 years.
CT Scan Overdose Victims Have Rights
Posted on November 05, 2009Los Angeles, CA: It seems that somebody at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center made a serious error when the hospital?s CT Scanner was recalibrated in February 2008. Dozens of patients booked for diagnostic brains scans were blasted with megadoses of radiation ? doses usually reserved for treating brain tumors.
"I Wouldn't Wish SJS on My Worst Enemy"
Posted on November 05, 2009Dover, DE: "I had a urine infection earlier this year and my doctor prescribed Bactrim," says Grace. "I started to get headaches and a fever but I thought it was the flu. Never in a million years did I think it could be Stevens Johnson Syndrome; I'd never even heard of SJS until the hospital doctors told me...
Lawsuit Alleges Negligence Over Excessive Radiation
Posted on November 05, 2009Los Angeles, CA: A negligence lawsuit alleging medical negligence and negligence liability has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Cedars Sinai Medical Center, GE Healthcare and GE Healthcare Technologies alleging that patients received 8 times the approved dosage of radiation during CT brain perfusion scans performed to diagnose strokes.
Chantix User Jailed
Posted on November 05, 2009Reedsburg, WI: Joe says he was doing OK, even in this lousy economic climate. He had a family and a steady job, but everything went sideways when he got a prescription for Chantix.
New Jersey woman claims Yaz gave her a stroke
Posted on November 05, 2009Newark, NJ: The Bayer corporation, makers of the popular contraceptive Yaz, is the subject of a lawsuit from Susan Galinis, a 39-year old mother of three who claims that the popular birth control pills led to a series of health complications including a stroke.
Was There More to Fatal Defective Automotive Crash Than Floor Mats?
Posted on November 04, 2009San Diego, CA: An allegedly defective automobile that killed four people?including a highly trained police officer?is still under investigation. And while the San Diego crash triggered the largest auto defect recall in Toyota's history, there is much more to this automobile defect story than improperly installed floor mats.
Two Deaths Linked to E. Coli Outbreak
Posted on November 04, 2009Washington, DC: Several state health departments, the CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state foodborne ilness outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 which has led to the deaths of two American citizens.
More Companies Getting Into the Heparin Business
Posted on November 04, 2009Lake Forest, IL: Recent issues surrounding heparin contamination and problems with heparin syringes have illustrated that there is no alternative to heparin for things such as catheter locking. According to a recent blog post appearing at Lynn Hadaway Associates Inc...
Off-label use of Amiodarone may be dangerous
Posted on November 04, 2009Silver Spring, MD: According to the FDA, one in five U.S. doctors who write prescriptions from common use drugs do so for off-label use, which is what has allegedly occurred with the irregular heartbeat medication Amiodarone.
Shoulder Pain pumps may worsen Athlete's injuries
Posted on November 04, 2009Olympia, WA: Because of their rigorous schedules and physically demanding vocation, professional athletes find themselves at the greatest risk of debilitating shoulder injuries. As a result, arthroscopic shoulder surgery has become extremely common among competitors in more grueling sports like mixed martial arts, football and hockey.
BP fined $87 million for violating Texas labor law
Posted on November 04, 2009Houston, TX: Spurred by a failure to correct several hazardous safety violations at a Texas refinery, BP will be fined a record $87 million by the Texas employment law watchdog group, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Memorable Family Party?Foodborne Illness on the Menu
Posted on November 04, 2009Oakdale, CA:"My girlfriend and I decided to throw a party for our son's first birthday," says Ron. "My mom flew out and about 20 people attended, including my 83-year-old grandma who almost died from
Cash4Gold Played Fast and Lost with Customers
Posted on November 04, 2009New York, NY: With the price of gold skyrocketing to $1000 an ounce and more and millions of people struggling through difficult times, companies offering cash in exchange for old jewelry and other precious metals items are drawing a lot of attention...
Military Helicopter Crash Shifts from Rescue to Recovery: Officials
Posted on November 03, 2009Sacramento, CA: Last week's helicopter crash that occurred when a Marine helicopter crashed with a Coast Guard plane off the coast of California has become a recovery effort, now that the search for survivors has been called off. Helicopter crash victims, as well as those aboard the doomed plane, have yet to be found.
New Hampshire Resident Dies in E. Coli Outbreak
Posted on November 03, 2009New Hampshire: A New Hampshire resident has died after consuming ground beef tainted by E. coli O157:H7.
Illinois Employment Law: Former Employee Wins Invasion of Privacy Claim
Posted on November 03, 2009Chicago, IL: When it comes to employment lawsuits, wrongful termination and discrimination probably come to mind first. However, one Illinois employment lawsuit has brought to light an issue that could become more widespread?invasion of privacy. Specifically, the plaintiff in the Illinois employment lawsuit alleged that her former employer invaded her privacy after she was fired from her job.
Workplace Accident highlights the need for whistleblower protection in California Labor Laws
Posted on November 03, 2009Los Angeles, CA: A California man was crushed to death by a trash compactor while at work last month in what was potentially a breach of security protocols. As the case is still under investigation, and no witness has been forthcoming with an explanation as to why the man was inside the trash compactor in the first place, the incident has highlighted the need for stringent California labor laws.
Yet Another Fixodent Denture Cream Zinc Lawsuit
Posted on November 03, 2009Dallas, TX: Fixodent denture adhesive and the inherent problems pertaining to Fixodent zinc poisoning has formed the basis of a lawsuit involving a Texas woman now suffering from neuropathy and denture cream zinc poisoning following long-term use of Fixodent denture cream.
CDR Antitrust Update: Nine-Count Indictment Against California Firm
Posted on November 03, 2009Beverly Hills, CA: The latest antitrust news involves a federal grand jury indictment against a California-based financial products company accused of allegedly rigging bids for investment and derivatives in return for kickbacks. Antitrust lawyers will most assuredly be involved in the case, although it is not known at this time if the situation will involve a price fixing class action lawsuit.
Study finds possible alternative to MRI health risk
Posted on November 02, 2009San Diego, CA: New research has emerged that may provide women with a new breast cancer test that allows them to avoid MRI health risks.
New study may verify Zoloft birth defects
Posted on November 02, 2009New York, NY: Treating depression in pregnant women may require increasingly meticulous scrutiny, as a recent study published in the British Medical Journal has linked a mother's use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - chemical compounds commonly found in antidepressants like Zoloft ? with heart defects in children, suggesting that Zoloft birth defects are a very real danger.
Wells Fargo Faces California Overtime Class Action Lawsuit
Posted on November 02, 2009San Diego, CA: California overtime laws are designed to ensure that employees who work extra hours receive overtime pay in California. However, despite California employee overtime laws, some people find they are not properly paid for additional hours they work, causing them to file lawsuits to ensure they receive appropriate compensation.
Two FDA Doctors Said Omniscan Worse Than Other MRI Contrast Agents
Posted on November 02, 2009Pittsburgh, PA: MRI contrast side effects and MRI health risks could prove to be a problem for multinational General Electric (GE), according to the October 26 issue of Business Week. GE makes Omniscan, a contrast agent that contains gadolinium.
Bank of America Sued Over Unpaid Call Center Overtime
Posted on November 02, 2009Kansas City, MO: Alleged failure to provide overtime pay for required work appears to have landed Bank of America in hot water. Suggesting an affront to overtime rules and overtime labor laws, a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of workers who toiled at Bank of America call centers across the US.
Nurse Sues Bayer Over Yaz Side Effects
Posted on November 01, 2009Rock Hill, SC: A South Carolina woman has launched a lawsuit alleging Yaz side effects severely impacted her life. Candice Atkinson claims that Yasmin birth control side effects not only left her with life-threatening injuries, but the side effects of Yasmin are more dangerous than previous generations of oral contraceptives.
19 Mississippi schools face closure due to asbestos
Posted on November 01, 2009Jackson, MI: Jackson is experiencing a bit of an uproar this week as 22 buildings owned by the Jackson-Madison county school system - including 19 schools - were found to contain asbestos.
Reglan Side Effects Not Always Easy to Deal With
Posted on October 31, 2009Houston, TX: For patients suffering from Reglan side effects, understanding why they are experiencing Reglan tardive dyskinesia might be next to impossible. After all, how can you make a link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia, when you were simply taking the medication for a gastrointestinal problem...
Bus Carrying College Students Involved in Crash
Posted on October 31, 2009Atlanta, GA: A bus carrying members of the Morehouse College band overturned on Interstate 75, causing several serious injuries. According to a report at wsbtv.com (October 31, 2009), seven people were taken to hospital with serious injuries following the bus crash...
Prepaid Debit Card Hidden Fees Hurt Consumers
Posted on October 31, 2009Columbus, OH: Prepaid debit cards are becoming increasingly popular. However, prepaid debit card companies are accused of using hidden fees to increase their profits. Customers and consumer protection groups say these prepaid debit card fees are hitting customers where it hurts?their wallet.
Pharmacist receives $2 million for violation of Massachusetts labor laws
Posted on October 31, 2009Boston, MA: A woman in Boston is receiving $2 million in damages from Wal-Mart after a judge decided that the big box chain breached Massachusetts employment labor laws when it unceremoniously fired her in 2004.
Policyholders Denied by LINA Get Second Chance: Too Late?
Posted on October 30, 2009San Francisco, CA: It's the situation nightmares are made of: customers with Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA insurance) policies submit their claims for vital medical coverage, only to have their LINA disability insurance claim denied. LINA has been ordered go through its denied claims in California from the past few years to determine if any denials should be reversed...
Drywall Litigation Lawyers Turn Focus to Possible Compensation Scenarios
Posted on October 30, 2009Jupiter, FL More homeowners in Florida have joined the apparently non-stop train of Americans plagued by toxic Chinese drywall. Attorney Alan Linkhorst has recently filed a class action on behalf of about 25 unit owners at the Renaissance Commons in Boynton Beach.
Young Expectant Mother Victim of Workplace Discrimination in Toronto
Posted on October 30, 2009Toronto, ON: It's not often in this age of racial discrimination, age discrimination, gender discrimination and other forms of workplace discrimination, that you hear about new mothers given the boot for simply being pregnant. But that's what happened to a young, expectant mother in the metropolitan Toronto suburb of Mississauga.
Overdraft fees may be slowly bankrupting the elderly
Posted on October 30, 2009Chicago, IL : Consumers may want to keep a closer eye on their finances, as the rampant assessment of excessive bank overdraft fees have come under fire in the public and private sectors.
Coast Guard Plane and Marine Chopper Collide Off California
Posted on October 30, 2009Los Angeles, CA: The search is on for survivors after a Coast Guard plane and a Marine helicopter collided in mid-air over the Pacific Ocean near Southern California late yesterday.
Videogamers may want to avoid Levaquin and its reported side effects
Posted on October 30, 2009New York, NY: According to new research, children who spend more than an hour playing video games may want to avoid medication such as Levaquin, due to its reported increased risk of developing tendonitis.
Is the Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?
Posted on October 29, 2009Washington, DC: The concern over the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic, not to mention President Obama's declaration last week that swine flu is now a national emergency, has put everyone on alert with regard to the vaccine and any potential drug side effects inherent with the swine flu vaccine...
Zyprexa, Abilify, Risperdal, and Seroquel Linked to Rapid Weight Gain in Children
Posted on October 29, 2009Washington, DC: The largest study of its kind to show an association between atypical antipsychotics such as Zyprexa, and rapid weight gain and metabolic changes that can lead to diabetes and hypertension was published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)...
Zicam Shareholder Lawsuit Reinstated
Posted on October 29, 2009Phoenix, AZ: A federal appeals court has reinstated a shareholder lawsuit, filed against Matrixx Initiatives, which claimed company officials knew about the risks associated with its Zicam cold remedy. The lawsuit was filed in 2004 and alleged that the company hid questions about Zicam's safety from shareholders...
Texas company to make alternative to Gaiam BPA Bottles and others
Posted on October 29, 2009Austin, TX: PlasticPure has reportedly received $1.1 million in federal money to further its research in providing an alternative to potentially toxic water bottles, such as the ones made by Gaiam that allegedly had traces of BPA.
Service member dies in helicopter accident during training
Posted on October 29, 2009Libby, MT: A 29-year-old Army staff sergeant died last week in a helicopter crash that occurred on a Navy ship off the coast of Virginia.
Citibank Cancels Credit Cards with Little Warning
Posted on October 28, 2009New York, NY: Beyond the sometimes onerous fees associated with many credit cards, credit card abuse takes other forms?not the least of which includes the allegedly unjust termination of a credit card.
$336 Million Settlement for Credit Card Fees Lawsuit
Posted on October 28, 2009Manhattan, NY: A credit card abuse class-action lawsuit that's been in the pipeline for about eight years and approved in 2006 has won final approval from a US judge. The settlement will see $336 million spread amongst a whopping ten million-plus claimants who alleged credit card consumer abuse and unjust credit card fees.
Study finds Enbrel ineffective for arthritis patients
Posted on October 28, 2009Pittsburgh, PA: A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh has found that arthritis patients have another option in treatment to avoid Enbrel side effects.
"Heparin is Given Indiscriminately"
Posted on October 28, 2009Lambertville, MI:"Patients have to know that heparin is a dangerous substance and given indiscriminately to suspected heart patients as part of hospital protocol," says Mary. "I believe a lot of older people have died from heparin allergic reactions and heparin contamination; there are many patients who are not as pro-active as me and don't realize they can say to a doctor or nurse, "Don't give me any heparin'...
New York Court Lowers Hammer on Landlord after Tenants Sue
Posted on October 27, 2009Manhattan, NY: In the world of housing and the relationship between landlord and tenant, one would assume that the building owners would be in the drivers' seat. However, even though the landlord has the deed to the premises, the cost to maintain those premises in terms of debt servicing can be debilitating?and landlords who forget that tenants have certain rights and the capacity to fight back do so at their peril.
"Do I Qualify for a Lawsuit against MRI Health Risks and Contrast Agents?"
Posted on October 27, 2009Charlotte, NC: Gary has undergone 6 MRIs in the past two years and each time he was injected with a gadolinium-based contrast agent. Although Gary doesn't have the early signs of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, known as NSF (leathery skin painful and painful swelling in the legs and arms), he has developed some swelling and joint problems and worries that they are associated with MRI health risks.
Firefighter awarded $12.7 million after suffering brain injury on the job
Posted on October 27, 2009Seattle, WA: A firefighter from Seattle has reportedly been awarded $12.7 million after suffering from a spine and brain injury after falling down a fire pole shaft while on-duty.
Whistleblower Helps US Recover $25 Million from Alleged Defense Fraud
Posted on October 27, 2009Washington, DC: A whistleblower who cooperated with federal investigators and helped uncover a scheme that saw a government defense supplier allegedly earn an almost 200 percent profit, will himself earn a reward based on a percentage of the $25 million Woodward MPC has agreed to pay the federal government to settle a fraud case...
Nurse took Fen-phen, Diagnosis PPH
Posted on October 26, 2009Austin, TX: When Maxine was 57, she had to take early retirement from a nursing career she loved because in 1997 she took Pondamin, a component of the diet drug Fen-phen. "I stopped taking Pondamin after six months because it was making me 'hyper'," says Maxine...
Family of Tot Sues over CT Scan Radiation Overexposure
Posted on October 26, 2009Los Angeles, CA: A new and troubling issue emerging over CT brain scan and CT scan radiation has its roots in two recent events that were brought to the fore in the state of California. The issue, in a nutshell, is a nod to the fact that Americans are already receiving high levels of diagnostic radiation simply due to the prevalence, frequency and availability of diagnostic imaging in US clinics and hospitals.
Jury Awards $2.5 Million in SSRI Birth Defect Case
Posted on October 26, 2009Philadelphia, PA: The tragedy of SSRI birth defects was brought home last week when a jury in Philadelphia found for the plaintiff and held the manufacturer of an SSRI antidepressant responsible for the formation of heart defects in an unborn child. Given the growing concern over SSRI side effects, and the fact that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have become the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, doctors are continuing to face a dilemma with increasing frequency.
Doctor files disability pay lawsuit against Unum insurance
Posted on October 26, 2009Jefferson County, TX: A Texas doctor has filed a lawsuit against Unum Provident citing that he was denied disability insurance payments after he was unable to return to work.
Stockbroker Arbitration Recourse Against Fraud
Posted on October 25, 2009Dallas, TX: If you have been the victim of stockbroker fraud, you will most likely find no recourse against your stockbroker other than to go through stockbroker arbitration. That is because you likely signed a contract with your financial advisor that obligates you to file arbitration in cases where you experience stockbroker investment fraud.
Chantix Side Effects a Global Problem
Posted on October 25, 2009Seoul, South Korea: The fact that Chantix suicide and Chantix side effects are an issue not just in the US but around the globe was brought home by the Korea Times recently, which took Pfizer to task over Champix (which is the name Pfizer has tagged to Chantix for foreign sales).
Texas employment lawsuit may yield workers $5.5 million in back pay
Posted on October 25, 2009Lufkin, TX: A lawsuit claiming Texas labor laws were violated may bring former employees of a company backpay as well as what some are describing as a form of justice.
Some flu and denture cream zinc poisoning symptoms are the same
Posted on October 25, 2009Dallas TX: With the flu season in full swing and the prevalence of H1N1 rising in the media, it may be safe to say the general public is being well-educated on certain symptoms. However, older Americans who use Fixodent denture adhesive for their false teeth may want to make sure they are not suffering from zinc poisoning.
Avandia: Dealing with the Diabetes Epidemic
Posted on October 24, 2009Tacoma, WA: With words like "epidemic" describing the nation's diabetes situation, it is possible that more people will be turning to medications like Avandia to maintain their insulin levels. However, because of Avandia side effects, which include an increased risk of heart attacks, patients and their doctors will have to determine whether the Avandia risk is worth the benefit.
Class Action against DuPont?s Teflon Plant Sticks
Posted on October 24, 2009Princeton, NJ A well-known environmental law attorney is leading a class action aimed at forcing DuPont to pay for the cleanup of the local water supply for the residents of Penns Grove, NJ. ?We are seeking to have safe drinking water for these people,? says attorney Stuart Lieberman of Lieberman & Blecher...
Officials Propose Bill to Stop Overdraft Fees
Posted on October 24, 2009Montgomery, AL: The news probably could not come soon enough for people who have been victimized by excessive bank overdraft fees. Senators are considering a bill that would put limits on bank overdraft fees, preventing the banks from making money off excessive bank fees.
New relationship has PayPal taking cue from Green Dot Visas
Posted on October 24, 2009San Jose, CA: Green Dot Corporation and PayPal came to an agreement earlier this month to bring more prepaid services to consumers, which may do little to quiet emerging news reports about complaints from people concerning hidden fees.
Companies allegedly scammed $6.4 million from seniors in annuity plan fraud
Posted on October 24, 2009Columbus, OH: Approximately 8,000 senior citizens in Ohio were reportedly bilked out of their money through illegal annuity plans.
Levaquin Side Effects Meant Life in Wheelchair for Seven Years
Posted on October 23, 2009Washington, DC: When your child is prescribed medication you assume it's safe. However in the case of Levaquin, detractors say the safety factor is debatable. And Levaquin side effects, including Levaquin tendon rupture put one family through hell.
Understanding ERISA Laws
Posted on October 23, 2009Milwaukee, WI: If your employer provides any type of employee benefits plan and is a private company, then you have probably already heard of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. The ERISA plan is a federal law that sets out guidelines regarding how pension and health plans in private industry are run...
Healthcare Reform may only add to denied insurance claims at CIGNA, LINA
Posted on October 23, 2009Washington DC: According to some officials, a healthcare reform plan out of Congress may make it harder for patients to file challenges against insurers like LINA insurance and Cigna Life Insurance Company of North America.
California State Pays by the California Overtime Rules
Posted on October 23, 2009Sacramento, CA: In a world in which you always hear about things going wrong, it's important to sometimes note the things that are going right, for balance. Ditto for California overtime. California overtime laws ensure that employees who qualify have a right to California overtime pay?and according to the Associated Press (AP) yesterday the state of California paid out a whole whack of overtime in the past five years.
Defective Product Personal Injury?or Death
Posted on October 23, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Diving is not everyone's cup of tea. That said, with more and more baby boomers retiring early and seeking interesting ways to pass the time, diving?for those who love the water and looking to extend their passion?is a growing industry...
A Victory for California Labor Law, and Others
Posted on October 23, 2009Los Angeles, CA: The failure of a contactor to pay fair wages and overtime has resulted in a nearly quarter-million dollar settlement to laborers in California and two other states, upholding California labor law regulations and the California labor code...
Nursing Home Abuse Threatens Vulnerable Patients
Posted on October 23, 2009Seattle, WA: Although senior citizens are among the most vulnerable of our population, or maybe because of it, nursing home abuse continues to be a major concern for those who know elderly people living in nursing homes. Elder care neglect still occurs far too frequently, often having serious consequences for the victims...
Mother Furious, Mentally Challenged Daughter had Gallbladder Removed, Courtesy Yasmin
Posted on October 22, 2009Mount Pleasant, TX:Pam's daughter, Jenny, went on Yasmin one month before she was married. "Jenny has never been sick so when the surgeon told me she needed her gallbladder removed I was shocked," says Pam. "Then I found out about Yasmin and Yaz side effects and its link to gallbladder disease?then I was so pissed...
Pennsylvania Employment Lawsuits
Posted on October 22, 2009Hanover, PA: Pennsylvania employment law protects the rights of Pennsylvania employees. However, there are situations in which employees must turn to Pennsylvania lawyers to defend their rights. This can occur in situations where discrimination or harassment have occurred in the workplace or where employees' benefits programs are not being properly managed.
US Drug Watchdog Howls Over Zicam Smell Loss
Posted on October 22, 2009Washington, DC: The consumer advocacy group US Drug Watchdog is doing plenty of growling over Zicam smell loss now that the cold and flu season has arrived. Matrixx, the manufacturer of Zicam, has been cited for allegedly knowing for years about the potential for zinc in Zicam to affect the sense of smell but failed to address the issue...
Denture Cream Lawsuits: Understanding Copper and Zinc in Our Bodies
Posted on October 22, 2009Buffalo, NY: Recent news about denture adhesive zinc poisoning has people talking about zinc and copper levels in their body. Until the news about denture cream zinc poisoning came out, most people probably did not give too much thought to the possibility of zinc toxicity or copper deficiency...
Procedure may reduce risk of hip replacement lawsuit
Posted on October 22, 2009Coldwater, MI: Some medical professionals have recently looked at a new type of surgery that may reduce the amount of hip replacement implant failures.
New, Startling Source of BPA: Cash Register Receipts
Posted on October 21, 2009Wilmington, MA: For those concerned about the health implications of bisphenol-A (BPA), the focus has been on things like plastic water bottles, baby bottles or even lined aluminum water bottles.
"Parkinson's Drug Drove Me to Sex With Strangers": Patient
Posted on October 21, 2009Manchester, UK: Drug side effects and allegedly harmful drugs push the limits with regard to society's definition of safety, given the inherent expectation that if a drug is on the market, available, approved and prescribed then it must be safe. But that's hardly the case given the regulatory position that a drug is considered safe simply if its benefits outweigh the risks.
Report: Texas county had more than 600 cases of MRSA infection
Posted on October 21, 2009San Antonio, TX: The Texas Department of State Health Services has found that in a single month this year, Bexar County reported more than 600 cases of MRSA hospital infections.
Contractors Expose Workers to Asbestos During Renovation
Posted on October 21, 2009Enfield, UK: The failure of the US to ban asbestos notwithstanding, a larger and more compelling source with regard to asbestos, mesothelioma lawsuits and asbestos lawsuits remains the rehabilitation of old buildings containing asbestos and what happens to on-site workers and passersby when they are not fully protected.
Bayer Goes to Court over Yaz
Posted on October 20, 2009Bayer was defending itself in court this week over allegations that its popular oral contraceptive Yaz
Gaiam Water Bottles Leach BPA When Stressed
Posted on October 20, 2009Boulder, CO: A new revelation involving Gaiam bottles and BPA is swirling in the new age and eco communities, after reports that the lining of aluminum Gaiam water bottles have been found to leach trace amounts of Bisphenol A under extreme conditions.
FDA Given Teeth, Food Recalls on the Rise
Posted on October 20, 2009Washington, DC: Look for more action from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on food recalls, false advertising and false labeling?anything that appears to play fast and loose with safety or the law. In fact, it's apparent that President Obama's early statement about tightening the regulatory belt where it comes to consumer safety was no idle promise.
Attorney Says Prepaid Debit Cards Can Carry High Fees
Posted on October 20, 2009Albany, NY For consumers with a poor credit rating or who are unable to conduct business with a bank, prepaid debit cards may seem like a dream come true. They provide customers with the ability to use a debit card without having to go through the application process with banks...
Labor Department: Minnesota company violated overtime pay laws
Posted on October 20, 2009St. Paul, MN: The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against a company's president who reportedly did not pay approximately 250 employees the federal minimum wage or overtime pay.
Avelox may rupture athletes' Achilles tendons
Posted on October 20, 2009New York, NY: Athletes, both professional and amateur, who suffer from respiratory problems may want to avoid the medication Avelox, which has been associated with adverse reactions such as an Achilles tendon rupture.
Cipro Patient Exhausted from Being Sore
Posted on October 20, 2009Brooklyn, NY: For the average person, experiencing Cipro side effects can be an upsetting ordeal. After all, the Cipro antibiotic has been linked to such serious side effects as tendon ruptures and tendinitis. However, for Samantha S. (real name withheld), the consequences of taking the Cipro drug have been devastating...
Will Overlap of Old and New Heparin Be a Problem?
Posted on October 19, 2009Washington, DC: Heparin contamination will hopefully become a thing of the past thanks to a new protocol that will impact all heparin products, including heparin injection and that found in heparin syringes. The issue however will be whether or not the health care community is sufficiently informed of the change, given a change in the potency to the standard unit.
New York labor law: Getting $1 per day constitutes work
Posted on October 19, 2009New York, NY: A laid-off New York attorney was reportedly declared ineligible for unemployment benefits because New York labor law declared the $1.30 a day she received from online advertising on her blog constituted work
Study finds more people may be exposed to MRI risk in certain areas
Posted on October 19, 2009Stanford, CA: A new study has found that people who live in areas with more MRI machines use the machines more often, suggesting an increase in MRI health risks such as kidney disease and failure.
California Car Crash the Result of High Speed Chase
Posted on October 19, 2009Vallejo, CA: California car accidents are like car accidents anywhere?they can be dangerous and deadly. And even when California auto accidents don't take lives or cause injury, actual damage can be extensive and the potential for injury or death is always present.
SJS Risk Increases with Increase in Medications
Posted on October 19, 2009San Francisco, CA: The seriousness of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is fostering research into the debilitating and sometimes fatal condition, even though it is rare. Part of the reason why Stevens Johnson Syndrome skin disease is not falling through the cracks, is due to what often triggers it: medication...
Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia: Why Are Patients On Reglan For So Long?
Posted on October 19, 2009St. Louis, MO: Of the various Reglan side effects, Reglan tardive dyskinesia is by far the most heartbreaking. But even more disturbing is the fact that while Reglan is recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use not exceeding 12 weeks, there are patients who have been taking Reglan for a period of years.
Florida Employees File Lawsuits
Posted on October 19, 2009Fort Pierce, FL Employees who believe they were discriminated against in their jobs may be able to file a lawsuit to protect their rights. Some Florida employment lawsuits have been filed, alleging the employees were victims of discrimination on their jobs...
Excessive Bank Fees? How Does 79.9 Percent APR Grab You?
Posted on October 19, 2009San Diego, CA: The propensity of banks and other financial institutions to charge excessive bank overdraft fees and other excessive bank fees has raised the ire of at least one Congressman. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) said back in September that he would introduce legislation to "protect Americans from excessive checking account overdraft fees...
Banned Herbal Fen-phen / Ephedra Still Lurking in Cyberspace
Posted on October 18, 2009Washington, DC: When the Fen-phen drug was banned back in 1997 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fans of the then-popular diet cocktail were looking for alternatives. After all, Fen-phen worked. Yet it injected the term primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) into the public lexicon; a serious condition that can take years to emerge after Fen-phen is stopped and is often fatal.
Amiodarone + Simvastatin = Increased Risk: FDA
Posted on October 18, 2009Washington, DC: An adverse reaction to statin use, including amiodarone interaction and simvastatin side effect, was identified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year. And while simvastatin rhabdomyolysis is rare, researchers from the University of Western Ontario warned that side effects are likely to increase as more patients were prescribed amiodarone, and as LDL cholesterol targets tightened.
Unum Continues to Systematically Deny Claims: Advocate
Posted on October 18, 2009Chattanooga, TN: Linda Nee knows a thing or two about Unum. She once worked for Unum and while the Unum long-term disability insurance provider remains a powerhouse in the global insurance industry, there are those who think Unum has not changed its stripes of old.
How Long Have Avandia Side Effects Been Known?
Posted on October 18, 2009Boise, ID: Although Avandia and Avandia side effects have been in the news a lot lately, the truth is that at least one group was trying to alert the public to Avandia risks as early as 2000. In fact, in March of that year Public Citizen, a public advocacy group, petitioned the FDA to revise Avandia's labels...
Tenants Intentionally Exposed to Asbestos?Builders Profit
Posted on October 18, 2009Denver, CO: It's unfathomable that anyone in America would knowingly endanger the lives of others for sheer profit. But attorney Charles Torres says that Bascom Group, a company that purchases and renovates depressed apartment complexes, needlessly exposed the residents of Highline Terrace to asbestos...
FDA Looking into Lasik Surgery
Posted on October 18, 2009Washington, DC: On October 16 the FDA issued warning letters to 17 Lasik centers that weren't properly reporting problems with the procedure. LASIK is eye surgery done with a laser to help you see better. The laser makes tiny cuts that change the shape of the clear cover over the eye, the cornea...
Plane crash in the air kills two in Louisiana
Posted on October 18, 2009Pineville, LA: Two single-engine Cessna 150s reportedly collided in mid-air, killing two people and injuring two others over the weekend
Mother sues RCMP over son's taser death
Posted on October 18, 2009Vancouver, Canada: The mother of a Polish immigrant is suing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) over the taser death of her son that occurred in a Vancouver airport nearly two years ago
CIGNA, Parent Company to LINA, Faces Protestors
Posted on October 17, 2009Philadelphia, PA: Americans living outside California might be looking at that state with a bit of envy these days, as California has reached a settlement agreement with the Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA) regarding improper denials of LINA disability claims...
Getting Around California Labor Law Overtime
Posted on October 17, 2009Sacramento, CA: Although new overtime regulations went into effect for the state of California in 2000, some employers continue to violate the California Labor Law by not paying their employees overtime after working 8 hours in a work day. "My company furloughed all its employees rather than lay some of us off," says Robert, an electrician...
Company claims school district owes $200K in IT overtime
Posted on October 17, 2009Frankfort, IL: A company is suing an Illinois school district claiming it was allegedly not paid $200,000 in IT personnel overtime
GSK to pay $2.5 million in Paxil side effect lawsuit
Posted on October 17, 2009Philadelphia, PA: A Pennsylvania jury has ruled the drug company GlaxoSmithKline must pay $2.5 million over allegations that a Paxil side effect included birth defects.
California Overtime: Domestic Workers Have Rights Too
Posted on October 16, 2009San Francisco, CA: They are a group of people who are often exploited when it comes to California overtime pay. They work long days, often with little pay, and many do not understand their rights when it comes to California overtime laws. However, domestic workers are entitled to overtime pay in California?the problem is that many of them do not realize it.
Bloggers: The FTC War Against Internet Fraud is Just a Scouting Mission
Posted on October 16, 2009Washington, DC: In an effort to take the wind from the sails of the Internet scam and Internet fraud, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) spent a year studying the issue of the marketing and promotion of products via bloggers?and then announced a series of guidelines that go into effect December 1st...
Man sentenced to 5 years for alleged stock broker fraud
Posted on October 16, 2009San Antonio, TX: A former stockbroker has been sentenced to approximately five years in prison for stock broker fraud charges accusing the man of stealing $1.4 million from investors.
H1N1 sufferers may want to avoid Zicam cold remedy
Posted on October 16, 2009Atlanta, GA: Those who have contracted the H1N1 virus may want to avoid certain over-the-counter cold and flu remedies, such as Zicam, which has been linked to causing loss of smell in those who use it.
$12 million Allocated for PCA Salmonella Foodborne Illness: Make Your Claim Now
Posted on October 15, 2009Roanoke, WV: In January 2009 federal officials linked products manufactured by The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) to the Salmonella foodborne illness outbreak that sickened 677 people in 45 states and killed nine since early September 2008. Attorney Ron Simon of Simon and Luke has been in negotiations on behalf of his clients since April...
Ford Hit With Largest Single Recall Yet in US History
Posted on October 15, 2009Detroit, MI: The automaker that beat the odds and charged through the US economic morass on its own steam has been hit with the largest recall in US history. It will be interesting to see what affect this has on an automaker that said "no thanks" to a federal financial bailout earlier this year and whether this recall was a total surprise, or they knew it was coming.
Zicam User Says Smell Loss is a Safety Concern
Posted on October 15, 2009Romeoville, IL: Like other people who have used Zicam, Irene S. says she has suffered Zicam side effects, including Zicam smell loss. She also says she has lost her sense of taste. In the year since she stopped using Zicam, Irene has not recovered from her Zicam loss of smell, which she feels is a safety issue.
Study: Actos not as effective as insulin-based therapy
Posted on October 15, 2009Washington DC: A new study has found diabetic patients who use Actos as treatment may experience greater weight gain when compared to those who were not on the medication.
Household mold forces woman to live in tent
Posted on October 15, 2009Somers Point, NJ: A 31-year-old woman was reportedly forced to abandon her business and home because of household mold that was found in her attic after she left.
A Dangerous Delay in Diagnosis
Posted on October 14, 2009Memphis, TN It isn?t easy to sue your doctor in Tennessee. Plaintiffs lose more medical malpractice suits they win in that state. But Courtney Hill?s story of a lump in her breast--that doctors ignored until it was too late-proved to be so compelling that the jury recently awarded Hill and her husband $24 million.
Auto defect lawsuit filed after car driver ejected in car accident
Posted on September 30, 2009Marshall, TX: A woman has filed an auto defect lawsuit against Action Chrysler Jeep Dodge alleging the car dealership is liable for her son being ejected from his truck during a car accident.
Man dies in construction accident in Oregon
Posted on September 30, 2009Beaverton, OR: A 51-year-old man was killed over the weekend in a construction accident after a dump truck reportedly backed over him.
Towing Company Disregards California Labor Law
Posted on September 30, 2009San Diego: CA: Craig worked at a towing company for six years; the pay was good but the hours were long. And the company violated so many California labor law violations that Craig couldn't take it anymore?he quit. He says the company is already under investigation for violating California labor codes.
New Study Suggests Link Between SSRI Use and Birth Defects
Posted on September 30, 2009Tulsa, OK: A new study suggests that women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy are at a greater risk for having children born with birth defects. Although the study did not include the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), it did find an increase in another heart-related birth defect, known as a septal heart defect...
Skin Lesions Emerging as New Heparin Allergic Reaction
Posted on September 30, 2009Ottawa, ON: All has been quiet on the heparin front of late since the contaminated heparin from China scare died down. However, amongst various other heparin issues that have come and gone is a new concern surrounding the commonly used blood thinner: a new heparin allergic reaction involving skin lesions...
EPA Files Environmental Law Action Against Scranton Sewer Authority
Posted on September 30, 2009Scranton, PA: The concept of environmental protection is integral to all who share the environment together with the various building blocks of our environmental landscape?air, water and soil. So it may come as a surprise that a public agency cognizant of environment law would allow the discharging of untreated sewage into a public body of water.
At 3.8 Million Vehicles, Toyota Hit with Largest Recall in its History
Posted on September 30, 2009Detroit, MN: The one-time Japanese upstart that emerged to become the biggest supplier of vehicles to North America and set the standard of quality for everyone else to follow has just announced a massive recall that is easily the biggest in its history...
"How Can Unum Disregard My Medical Reports?"
Posted on September 30, 2009Delaware County, PA: Robert sustained an injury at work?he has several witnesses?and he was rushed to hospital. Three medical reports state that Robert is disabled and needs surgery, but Unum (also called Unumprovident) has denied his long term disability claim?another case of bad faith insurance.
Lawyers expect Chinese drywall manufacturers to ignore lawsuits
Posted on September 30, 2009New Orleans, LA: Lawyers involved in multiple lawsuits being filed concerning defective Chinese drywall products are reportedly saying the manufacturers may not respond to the cases.
Ex Cons Caring for our Elderly in Florida
Posted on September 29, 2009St. Petersburg, FL: An emerging issue tied to the topic of nursing home abuse and elder care neglect by workers at nursing homes, relates to the personal backgrounds of individuals who some might argue have no business working at an elder care facility.
Bad Behavior Returning to the Nursing Home Business
Posted on September 29, 2009Chicago, IL: For a while, nursing home care was improving. Bad operators in the business were sued into submission or driven out of business by tough legislation. "Unfortunately, conditions for nursing home residents are once again on the decline," says Steve Levin, a well-known lawyer and litigator from the firm of Levin & Perconti.
Family files wrongful death lawsuit against national fraternity
Posted on September 29, 2009San Luis Obispo, CA: A Texas family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon of being responsible for the death of their son.
Court reinstates $10.3M medical malpractice award without ruling on reform law
Posted on September 29, 2009West Palm Beach, FL: The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled that a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by a woman merited the $10.3 million a jury awarded her after losing her husband to a medical error.
Bar Ordered to Pay $10 Million for Drunken Patron?s Attack
Posted on September 29, 2009Chattanooga,TN: Dan Maddy could easily have bled to death after he was the victim of violent, unprovoked attack by a drunken patron of Ruby Tuesday?s bar ? fortunately the bar was located near a hospital. ?If he hadn?t been treated quickly he might have died,? says Maddy?s lawyer, Joe DeGaetano...
Foodborne Illness Puts Kids at Risk
Posted on September 28, 2009Washington, DC: According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, there appears to be a severe disconnect in communicating foodborne illness recalls to US schools. Last year, almost 250 students contracted salmonellosis from schools that continued to serve contaminated food product days past the recall dates...
Internet Scams Alive and Well, Many Pose as IRS
Posted on September 28, 2009Washington, DC: As dependent as we have become on the Internet, Internet fraud is an exploding problem that takes advantage of society's penchant for a good deal, a leg up or simply the need to follow an implied direction. Internet piracy however is on the rise and an educated consumer is the best defense against being taken to the cleaners.
More Lawsuits Over Levaquin Tendon Rupture
Posted on September 28, 2009Madison County, IL: The propensity for Levaquin to foster Levaquin tendon problems continues to trigger lawsuits that allege not only issues with Levaquin side effects, but also the alleged suppressing of warnings over Levaquin tendon ruptures by the manufacturer.
MRSA Infection Doesn't Stop at the Hospital
Posted on September 28, 2009Tampa, FL: What may have begun as a hospital infection is now beginning to make the rounds with creatures that may never wind up in hospital per se, but are equally impacted by an MRSA infection. Pets found to harbor an MRSA staff infection shed that infection right back into the atmosphere?and to humans.
Sheet Metal Workers at Risk for Mesothelioma
Posted on September 28, 2009New York, NY: Attorney Joe Belluck regularly represents workers with mesothelioma, a fatal disease found primarily in workers who have been exposed to asbestos on the job. ?We have represented many sheet metal workers and it is clear, both anecdotally and now through scientific data, they have an increased risk of dying from mesothelioma,? says Belluck from his office in New York.
Tennessee child custody ruling reversed
Posted on September 28, 2009Nashville, TN: The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that a lesbian mother can gain custody of her 14-year-old daughter while having a live-in partner.
Real estate lawsuits filed in California claim that defendants misappropriated funds
Posted on September 28, 2009Natomas, CA: The Natomas Unified School District recently filed a real estate lawsuit claiming that contracted developers asked for several million dollars more than what a piece of land was worth.
Flu season may worsen Actos side effects
Posted on September 28, 2009New York, NY: Diabetics who are on Actos may be at a higher risk for having a heart attack during flu season.
3 people die in fiery car accident in Washington
Posted on September 27, 2009Seatac, WA: Three people were killed in a car accident in Washington after their vehicle reportedly ran off the road and eventually burst into flames.
Medical Helicopter Crashes, Killing Crew
Posted on September 27, 2009Georgetown, SC: A medical helicopter crashed Friday night near Georgetown, killing three people. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there was evidence to indicate the helicopter's engine was still running when it went down...
Total Call Called Out on Undisclosed Fees, Lawsuit Settled
Posted on September 27, 2009Los Angeles, CA: There?s nothing like the telecom industry to get one?s blood boiling when it comes to undisclosed rates and fees. Especially when said rates and fees are not disclosed. Late last month a nationwide class action lawsuit was settled by Total Call International Inc...
Denture Cream Adhesive and Zinc Poisoning
Posted on September 27, 2009Miami, FL: Lawsuits are being filed against the makers of denture creams alleging that the denture adhesives can cause denture cream zinc poisoning, which in turn leads to copper deficiency. Patients involved in the lawsuits say they were sick for a long time before they were diagnosed, and even then they were not aware that denture adhesive zinc poisoning was possible.
John Deere ERISA Lawsuit Underway
Posted on September 27, 2009Davenport, IA A lawsuit alleging that Deere & Co. violated Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is now under way. The suit, filed on behalf of approximately 5,000 retirees who worked for Deere & Co., claims that changes Deere made to its health plan were in fact a decrease in benefits and a violation of ERISA law...
Businessman charged with financial fraud in two states
Posted on September 27, 2009Bismark, ND: Raymond Arjmand is reportedly facing several financial fraud lawsuits that involve properties he owns in California and North Dakota.
North Carolina boating accident victim identified
Posted on September 26, 2009Elizabeth City, NC: A 46-year-old woman who died in a boating accident on the Pasquotank River has been identified by local authorities in North Carolina.
Yaz Top-Selling Oral Contraceptive in the US, But Questions Remain About Safety
Posted on September 26, 2009Grafton, OH: Two recent studies published last month in The British Medical Journal found a higher risk for blood clots in women taking newer progestins like the drospirenone found in Yasmin and Yaz.
Landlord and Tenant Disputes Can be Complex
Posted on September 26, 2009Lorain, OH: Landlord-tenant disputes over housing can often be acrimonious. Sadly, many tenants don?t know their rights?and in most situations the tenant has a much deeper basket of rights than the landlord. For any tenant who feels victimized by an overbearing landlord, it?s important to know your rights in an effort to properly address the issue at hand, as well as to adequately defend your position.
Eighty-Two-Year-Old Sues SunTrust Over HELOC
Posted on September 26, 2009Atlanta, GA: When it comes to having their accounts messed with?accounts like the SunTrust Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) account?some people have decided that they are just not going to take it any more. One such person is an 82-year-old woman, who says her SunTrust HELOC was suspended and SunTrust never explained to her why.
Not All Bad Drywall Comes from China?Maybe
Posted on September 26, 2009Las Vegas, NV: That smelly, home-destroying drywall that is creating havoc for thousands of Americans is not just a product of China. ?I think the proper name for it may be toxic drywall,? says attorney Craig Fuller. ?We have found that some of this toxic drywall is manufactured by American companies...
New MRI contrast agent study assesses risks
Posted on September 26, 2009Rochester, MN: New research has found that some people experience MRI contrast side effects, which include kidney failure, Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis and various allergic reactions, when getting the common hospital test administered to them.
Stock fraud criminal remains at large
Posted on September 25, 2009Saskatoon, SK: A criminal indictment has identified a former prison guard from Saskatchewan, Canada, as one of the six people accused of orchestrating a $60 million stock fraud scheme.
San Francisco Lawyer Sues over Bad Practices at Fertility Clinics
Posted on September 25, 2009San Francisco, CA: What you hear is what you get when you?re talking to attorney Nancy Hersh. The daughter of the late LeRoy Hersh, she knew from the age of 12 she wanted to be lawyer like her father. In the 30 years since she graduated from law school, Hersh has built a solid, undisputed reputation as a skilled litigator and champion of women?s health issues.
Seniors Scared Into Deferred Annuities
Posted on September 25, 2009Pittsburgh, PA: One the surface, they may seem like good investments: annuities can provide a stream of income for people in their retirement years. However, there are often a number of factors that complicate annuity plans, making them unsuitable for certain investors...
Baltimore-based Software Company Sues Facebook for Patent Infringement
Posted on September 25, 2009Baltimore, MD: Copyright infringement has morphed in recent years from focusing on violations to the authorship of text and even ideas, to the protection of all things intellectual and the ownership of one's intellectual property. The explosion of the Internet?and more specifically mobile communication?tethered with the creation of applications, has put an even greater importance on the policing of intellectual property.
Tylenol Recalled Due to Possible Contamination
Posted on September 25, 2009New York, NY: Johnson & Johnson's McNeil unit has announced that the company is recalling more than 55 lots of infants' and children's Tylenol products due to a possible bacterial contamination. The recall was announced because an inactive ingredient in the products did not meet internal testing requirements...
Chantix Lawsuit Launched Over Carter Albrecht Death
Posted on September 25, 2009Dallas, TX: Chantix suicide, the most grievous and profound of Chantix side effects associated with the smoking cessation drug, has galvanized public opinion with regard to the one-time opus to smoking cessation. Various Chantix warnings not only include the possibility of Chantix and suicide, but also Chantix aggression.
Fen-Phen User's PPH Misdiagnosed as Asthma
Posted on September 25, 2009Cartersville, GA:Since 1996, Barbara has been suffering from symptoms similar to asthma; her breathing problems began shortly after taking Fen-Phen. But after countless tests and thirteen years later, Barbara found out that she didn't have asthma as her doctor initially diagnosed: instead she is suffering something much worse: Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH).
Workers' compensation premiums to increase for Washington residents
Posted on September 25, 2009Olympia, WA: Earlier this week Washington state's Department of Labor and Industries announced workers' compensation premiums would be increased by an average of 7.6 percent in 2010.
Director: Medical assistants should not handle Botox injections
Posted on September 25, 2009Las Vegas, NV: Louis Ling, the executive director of the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners, recently said that Botox injections being administered by medical assistants was a common practice throughout the state, and that it should stop.
Diabetics with broken hearts may want to avoid Avandia
Posted on September 24, 2009Sydney, Australia: A new study has found that a person suffering from a broken heart may have an increased risk of heart attack, which suggests those in that situation may want to use caution when considering the use of a drug like Avandia
Illegal Towing Akin to Extortion
Posted on September 24, 2009Portland, OR: Illegal towing is by far one of the most frustrating aspects of car ownership?especially in major urban centers where parking access is always at a premium. Motorists who park illegally must face the consequences. However, those who go out of their way to park legally are often hit with an illegal tow and the accompanying extortion that surely follows...
Levaquin Patient Spends Summer With Foot in Brace
Posted on September 24, 2009San Diego, CA: Kirk C. says that when he started taking Levaquin he had no idea he was not supposed to do any physical activity. That is because the reported Levaquin side effects include tendinitis and ruptured tendons. However, some patients, like Kirk, say they had no idea the Levaquin medication could cause such serious side effects.
New Jersey Employment Lawsuits
Posted on September 24, 2009Mount Holly, NJ: New Jersey employment law is designed to protect New Jersey employees from unethical actions on the part of their employer. Companies or organizations that violate New Jersey employment regulations could find themselves on the unpleasant side of an employee lawsuit...
Washington state court rules in favor of medical negligence victims
Posted on September 24, 2009Seattle, WA: The Washington State Supreme Court recently overturned a law that could have potentially blocked medical negligence victims' access to courts.
Zinc Is Good for You, But Not For Your Nose
Posted on September 23, 2009Phoenix, AZ: Zicam smell loss in tandem with Zicam cold medicine that contains zinc is unfortunate in that it detracts from the various health benefits of zinc beyond its use as a nasal spray. There is little doubt however that Zicam side effects have resulted in loss of smell for some, often triggering a call to a Zicam lawyer.
Was GlaxoSmithKline Worried About Avandia Risks?
Posted on September 23, 2009Seattle, WA: For patients who take Avandia, learning about the risk of Avandia side effects may have come as a complete surprise before the strengthened warnings were added in 2007. However, reports have surfaced that GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Avandia, may have known about the risks before studies were released questioning the drug's safety.
Employer Sued Over Testing for Prescription Drug Use
Posted on September 23, 2009In an interesting twist on employment law, Dura Automotive Systems Inc. in Tennessee is facing two separate lawsuits, both of which involve allegations that the company forced employees to undergo testing for legal drugs ? specifically prescription pain killers.
Jury Finds for Asbestos Mesothelioma Plaintiff in $1.4 Million Award
Posted on September 23, 2009Chattanooga, TN: As Mesothelioma lawsuits go, this one had a happy ending for a former asbestos worker's surviving family. The sad part is that the subject of the asbestos lawsuit, Wayne Jackson, did not live to see justice prevail after he was felled by the affects of asbestos.
One Dead in Helicopter Crash 'Fireball' North of Toronto
Posted on September 23, 2009Toronto, ON: A helicopter crash north of Toronto on the night of September 21st killed the lone occupant. Helicopter accidents appear to be on the rise and helicopter crashes often result in helicopter crash victims who are either maimed or killed.
Chinese drywall spawning defective product lawsuits
Posted on September 23, 2009Drywall imported from China has sparked a massive number of defective drywall lawsuits in the South with close to 150 cases being filed in Mississippi alone.
3 indicted over civil rights violations in prison
Posted on September 23, 2009Three officers at a Miami prison, along with one inmate, were charged with conspiracy and civil rights violations of inmates.
CVS pays $2.8M to settle dietary supplement lawsuit
Posted on September 23, 2009CVS Pharmacy will reportedly adhere to a proposed settlement from the Federal Trade Commission that will have the national drug chain refund $2.8 million and to halt "misleading claims" about one of the company's dietary supplements.
Watchdog group files environmental lawsuit citing pollution in Gowanus Canal
Posted on September 22, 2009Brooklyn, New York: An environmental lawsuit has been threatened against three Brooklyn companies accusing them of polluting the Gowanus Canal in the borough.
Michigan woman awarded $15M in dental malpractice lawsuit
Posted on September 22, 2009Pontiac, Michigan: A 61-year-old woman was awarded $15 million by a Michigan jury in a dental malpractice lawsuit after her dentist reportedly failed to diagnose a precancerous lesion.
Overtime Law: Are Strippers Independent Contractors?
Posted on September 22, 2009Salisbury, MA: When it comes to overtime pay there are certain people who are considered exempt under overtime pay laws. Those people can include independent contractors, who are not technically under the employ of a company. However, it is possible for people to be misclassified as independent contractors and therefore unfairly denied proper pay under overtime labor laws...
Zicam User Says Life is Bland Without Smell and Taste
Posted on September 22, 2009Huntsville, AL: Brad M. believes he has been dealing with Zicam side effects for several months. Ever since he used Zicam to prevent a cold, Brad has had nasal problems. Specifically, Brad is suffering from Zicam smell loss and a loss of taste. He says the Zicam loss of smell has had an impact on his life.
Failed CD Horizon System Fast-Tracked to Approval, Manufacturer Played by the Rules
Posted on September 22, 2009Washington, DC: The recall almost two years ago of the Medtronic CD Horizon Spinal System Agile Dynamic Stabilization Device was initiated literally months after the device was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And because the Medtronic CD Horizon system was substantially similar to other devices already on the market, manufacturer Medtronic Sofamor Danek did not require approval of a pre-market approval application (PMA) for its Class II medical device.
Husband Warns Others to Stop taking Yasmin
Posted on September 22, 2009Cocoa Beach, FL: Peter says birth control isn't something a guy normally talks about, but after his wife almost died from a blood clot in her lung, he convinced his daughter to stop taking Yasmin and he told the neighbor across the street about it; her daughters were on Yaz.
Illinois AG files consumer fraud lawsuit against contractor
Posted on September 21, 2009Chicago, Illinois: One man and five repair and mortgage companies were named in a consumer fraud lawsuit for allegedly bilking approximately $1.3 million in equity from area homeowners.
Survey finds dog bites costing homeowners in liability claims
Posted on September 21, 2009New York City, New York: A new survey was released that finds dog bites account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability costs.
Reglan: Tardive Dyskinesia "Difficult to Live With"
Posted on September 21, 2009Somerville, TN: Georgeann T. says watching her husband deal with Reglan side effects has been a difficult ordeal. Georgeann believes her husband is suffering from Reglan tardive dyskinesia, a condition marked by involuntary muscle movements. The link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia is strong enough that the drug, used to treat heartburn, diabetic gastroparesis and esophagitis, now carries a warning about the risks of developing tardive dyskinesia.
SJS Robs Mississippi Woman of Her Sight, But She Bites Back
Posted on September 21, 2009Jackson, MS: An allergic reaction to medication can often lead to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS?a rare condition that is characterized by symptoms ranging from a skin rash, to the sloughing off of huge expanses of skin that are akin to 3rd degree burns...
Hip & Knee Replacement Failure Made Worse?When It's The Wrong Knee or Hip?
Posted on September 21, 2009Toronto, ON: Hip and knee implant replacement failure is most often thought of in terms of failure involving the actual implant, or physical structure of the medical device involved. However the genesis of a hip replacement lawsuit and the subsequent involvement of a hip replacement lawyer can go beyond the implant, and instead address the knee or hip procedure itself.
Murdoch sues Italian Prime Minister over media antitrust
Posted on September 21, 2009New York City, New York: An Italian satellite television platform filed an antitrust lawsuit on Wednesday against its competitor, Mediaset SpA.
Denture cream poisoning can lead to lupus
Posted on September 20, 2009While denture cream may be designed to keep a person's teeth in their mouth, reports continue to mount about the possible zinc poisoning associated with the seemingly harmless product.
Railroad worker files suit claiming job affected his health
Posted on September 20, 2009St. Clair, Illinois: A longtime railroad worker has filed a lawsuit against his former employer claiming that his exposure to various toxins over the course of his career contributed to him developing pancreatic cancer.
Workers Owed $1 Million in California Labor Law Violation
Posted on September 20, 2009Los Angeles, CA: The Labor Commissioner for the State of California has found yet another violation of California labor law in the alleged misdeeds of the Federal Loan Modification Law Center LLP (FLM Law Center), together with related entities and individuals...
Elected County Official in Florida Loses Workplace Harassment Trial
Posted on September 20, 2009Tampa, FL: A sensational workplace harassment case involving a public official and his subordinate in the Sunshine State was recently resolved with a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff. However, it is not known if the defendant involved with the alleged sexual harassment in the workplace litigation will appeal.
Dell settles contract fraud case for $4M
Posted on September 20, 2009New York City, New York: A computer manufacturing company has been ordered to pay $4 million to New York's Office of the Attorney General to settle a contract fraud case filed in 2007.
Allianz Accused of Selling Unsuitable Annuities
Posted on September 19, 2009Minneapolis, MN: It has been a few years since Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America was first accused of selling unsuitable annuities to clients. In that time, the insurance company has settled claims that it misled investors about Allianz annuities and Allianz bonuses...
Car Accident Death in Raleigh, Doctor Charged
Posted on September 19, 2009Raleigh, NC: A car accident is something you can't plan for, can't anticipate and often can't avoid?especially if another driver causes the auto accident. An auto accident injury, sadly, is often not the worst result.
Lawyers: Law that caps medical malpractice damages should change
Posted on September 19, 2009The case concerning the failed facelift of a real estate agent may potentially change a Georgia state law that limits the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
Illinois hospital fire accident claims 65-year-old's life
Posted on September 19, 2009Marion, Illinois: An elderly woman who suffered injuries from a fire accident at Heartland Regional Medical Center reportedly died six days after the incident.
Construction company files for bankruptcy, owes as much as $50M
Posted on September 18, 2009Durham, North Carolina: Mainline Contracting, a company that reported more than $80 million in revenue last year, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Resort Company Accused of Inaction Over Reverse Workplace Sexual Harassment Case
Posted on September 18, 2009Murrells Inlet, SC: The various nuances of employment law goes well beyond issues of unpaid overtime?and one of the most grievous aspects of an otherwise good employment environment gone wrong is when sexual harassment is involved.
2 victims identified in California plane crash
Posted on September 18, 2009Redlands, California: Two men who died in a recent plane crash have been identified by a California coroner's office.
Wrongful Death Compensation Ordered 28 Years After Death
Posted on September 18, 2009Boston, MA: In a scene straight out of a crime novel, a wrongful death case dating back 28 years has finally earned a wrongful death judgment worth $30 million after a judge ruled in July that a woman who died in 1981 may have been a victim of government bungling.
Lawyer Accuses Drug Company of Ignoring Paxil Risks
Posted on September 18, 2009Philadelphia, PA: GlaxoSmithKline ignored evidence about Paxil birth defects, according to a lawyer involved in a lawsuit regarding Paxil heart defects. The lawyer told the jury that Glaxo told scientists to avoid making public the risks of Paxil defects when the antidepressant was used by pregnant women.
FDA Warns Bayer About Yaz
Posted on September 18, 2009Washington, DC: The maker of Yaz/Yasmin birth control , Bayer AG, has received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), regarding the quality of drug ingredients of the oral contraceptive found during the testing process.
Cipro Side Effects Misdiagnosed as Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted on September 17, 2009Winston-Salem, NC: Phoebe took the prescribed dose of Cipro ( a ten-day treatment) in early 2008 for a sinus infection. It cleared up the infection but caused horrible and likely irreparable side effects. "I want to see this drug taken off the market," says Phoebe...
Food Poisoning Feared in Mac and Cheese Recall
Posted on September 17, 2009Eden Prairie, MN: A recall that quietly circulated earlier this summer was triggered out of concern for foodborne illness and potential food poisoning after a batch of frozen macaroni and cheese was identified as a possible source for listeria contamination.
Fen-Phen is Dead, But Phentermine Lives On
Posted on September 17, 2009Washington, DC: Although the combination Fen-Phen has long been banned in this country by the US Food and Drug Administration, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is still serving to haunt those who used the Fen-Phen drug long after they stopped taking it...
Expert Witness Says Chinese Drywall is Spreading
Posted on September 17, 2009Lockhart, TX: According to Home Inspector Oran Venable, Chinese drywall is showing up in Texas as well as Florida and Lousiana. "I'm seeing homes with Chinese drywall in Austin, Dallas and further east that were built around the same time that contaminated drywall hit US shores," says Venable.
Massachusetts Laws Allow for Triple Damages
Posted on September 17, 2009Boston, MA: Massachusetts employment law is designed to protect Massachusetts employees from employers who might take advantage of them. Among the labor laws in Massachusetts that protect employees is a new law that triples damages employers must pay when they violate certain employment laws...
The Recession Has Been Kind to Unum Group
Posted on September 17, 2009New York, NY: The lingering economic recession appears to have helped insurance companies such as Unum, providers of Unum disability insurance, in a way they may not have expected. According to Unum Provident Chief Executive Officer Thomas Watjen, in comments appearing in Bloomberg News, Unum Insurance is recording fewer claims than expected.
Cipro side effects are remembered in wake of September 11 anniversary
Posted on September 16, 2009The anniversary of September 11, 2001 has led some to recall the mass hysteria that ensued at that time over the threat of an Anthrax outbreak, and the subsequent increase in demand for the antibiotic, Cipro. The current hysteria over projections of a potential swine flu pandemic this year have some feeling like it's deja vu.
3 Levaquin lawsuits filed citing tendon problems
Posted on September 16, 2009A total of 15 Illinois residents have filed three lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson for the reported adverse Lavaquin side effects that they saw caused muscle problems.
Investors Awarded $7 Million in Stockbroker Arbitration
Posted on September 16, 2009Boca Raton, FL: When investors suspect they have become the victim of stockbroker fraud they can turn to stock broker arbitration to recover some of their lost money. Recently, investors in Florida were awarded millions of dollars in their stock fraud arbitration.
Lawsuit claims Delphi and GM in violation of ERISA
Posted on September 16, 2009Former employees of Delphi Corporation and General Motors Corporation have filed a lawsuit against the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation stating the termination of their ERISA plan was a federal violation.
Paxil Birth Defects Lawsuit - GSK Ordered to Turn Over Emails
Posted on September 16, 2009Philadelphia PA: "If neg, results can bury", so wrote GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) executive Bonnie Rossello in a 1997 memo. Rossello was referring to what action the pharmaceutical giant should take if it became necessary to do animal studies with Paxil, their blockbuster antidepressant, known generically as paroxetine.
Nashville Faces Potential Employment Discrimination Class Action
Posted on September 16, 2009Nashville, TN: Nashville Electric Service and the Nashville municipal government are facing a potential class action employment lawsuit over allegations that they engaged in racial discrimination against African Americans related to job promotion and hiring, and forced them to work in a racially hostile environment.
Yet More Levaquin Lawsuits
Posted on September 16, 2009Madison, Ill: Three lawsuits were filed this week against Johnson & Johnson, Ortho-McNeil, Pharmaceutical, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development and Walgreens, by 15 people who allege they suffered severe tendon problems as a result of using the antibiotic Levaquin.
Man reportedly got $939K in stock fraud scheme
Posted on September 16, 2009A 41-year-old man from Nevada has been charged in a civil action lawsuit citing stock fraud that reportedly made him more than $930,000.
MRI Health Risks: "I think Gadolinium Killed my Brother"
Posted on September 15, 2009Richmond, VA:"My brother had several MRI's with gadolinium and I believe it caused his death; he passed away on Sept 10, 2007," says Brian. "On his death certificate there is a check mark next to both natural death and accidental death, and from what I understand, gadolinium was recognized as harmful [MRI health risk] and causing NSF/NFD in 2007, the year he died...
Group Home Violated California Labor Law, Over and Over?
Posted on September 15, 2009San Jose, CA: Kathy quit her job because she wasn't paid overtime. Her employer's excuse was that "they switched payroll companies in the middle of a payroll cycle and they told us because of this switch we wouldn't be paid for overtime we already worked," she says...
Alli-oops: FDA vs. GSK on Orlistat Liver Damage
Posted on September 15, 2009Washington, DC: Just a few weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed its safety review of diet drug Alli due to reports of orlistat side effects and orlistat liver damage, alli manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has launched a defense of its weight loss drug.
Home Owners Angry About HELOC Changes
Posted on September 14, 2009San Jose, CA: They are the latest people allegedly affected through no fault of their own by the current recession: people who had a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC account) at financial institutions that are now freezing or decreasing those HELOC accounts...
?Walk, Don?t Run to the Alter? says Attorney Ben Berkley
Posted on September 14, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles attorney Ben Berkley says if you?re thinking about getting married again, best to ?kick the tires and take a look under the hood? before you tie the knot. ?The sad truth is 70 percent of marriages end in divorce, and the second marriages are often shorter than the first,? says Berkley.
Innocent Patients Shouldering the Burden of Misguided Pain Pump Use
Posted on September 14, 2009Chandler, AZ: A medical device that was supposed to alleviate pain has been shown to aggravate and even cause grievous shoulder injury, according to various reports as well as those who have suffered from the fallout of shoulder pain pump use. Shoulder repair surgery is painful...
Woman's Weakness in Legs Due to Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning
Posted on September 14, 2009New York, NY: Her case is compelling, although no one knew at the time that denture adhesive zinc poisoning lay at the heart of her troubles. The brand, our 64-year-old subject had been using, wasn't identified: it might have been Fixodent denture adhesive, or it might have been any number of other brands.
Medical device safety issues could lead to future lawsuits
Posted on September 13, 2009Inaccurate marketing information from medical devices companies like Pedinol Pharmacal could lead to future legal problems, based on federal Food and Drug Administration letters about drug side effects.
Whistleblower protection cited in two wrongful termination lawsuits
Posted on September 13, 2009In some states, employees who bring potential company wrongdoings to public light are afforded whistleblower protection that can enable them to keep their jobs, but two workers have filed suit saying that their companies still terminated their positions.
New law could increase number of brain injury cases in the Northeast
Posted on September 13, 2009Legislation in Congress could allow trucks in Maine and other states in the Northeast to travel with up to 10 tons more cargo than allowed on federal interstates, and brain injury advocates are worried about the potential impact of easing those regulations.
Zicam side effects may impact manufacturer's earnings in advance of court date
Posted on September 13, 2009A class action lawsuit concerning Zicam side effects may affect more than just buyers, as investors in the cold remedy manufacturer were recently reminded.
SSRI Birth Defect Risk Not Easy to Weigh
Posted on September 13, 2009Washington, DC: The issue of pregnancy and antidepressants continues to be an oft-debated area of natal care that pits those concerned with SSRI birth defects and the related SSRI birth defect risk, with those worried about the mental health of the pregnant woman...
Ground Zero Worker Received SSDI Benefits Three Years After 9/11
Posted on September 13, 2009New York, NY: The 8th anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in New York City served as a reminder that social security disability issues remain for hundreds, if not thousands of Americans continuing to be affected by 9/11 years after the fact. SSDI benefits are hard to come by at the best of times, often only with the aid of an SSDI attorney.
I Am Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia
Posted on September 12, 2009Washington, DC: I am tardive dyskenesia. And I can be your worst nightmare. Some people call me Reglan tardive dyskinesia, which is a misnomer because such a condition does not exist. What people do however is put one of the alleged triggers of tardive dyskinesia together with the grievous condition...
Car Accidents: Life Sentence for Impaired Driver
Posted on September 12, 2009Montreal, QC: A precedent was set in Canada two days ago when a Quebec Court Judge sentenced a drunk driver to life for a car accident that killed a woman. Robert Walsh's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he struck and killed Anne Khudaverdian who was out with her dog in her wheelchair?on her 47th birthday.
Antitrust Laws, and 3.79 Million Reasons to Cry Foul
Posted on September 12, 2009Schaumberg, IL: A massive antitrust act case that may see payouts to 3.79 million class members was upheld this past Tuesday, assuring that antitrust laws have been brought to bear and antitrust policy is actively defended in this country.
With Black Mold, Always Better to Err on the Side of Caution
Posted on September 12, 2009Hanover, PA: Toxic Mold Exposure continues to be a confusing subject for most people, given that household black mold and other sources of mold are more commonplace than most people think and not quite as hazardous as most people realize. Still, few are keen on taking any chances.
New research suggests Levaquin and Avelox side effects may include double vision
Posted on September 12, 2009Antibiotics in the fluoroquinalone class have been linked to potential concerns over tendon ruptures, and now scientists say that the list of Levaquin and Avelox side effects may also need to incorporate double vision.
Physician Takes Issue With Fears Over Avandia Risk
Posted on September 11, 2009Washington, DC: The debate over Avandia and Avandia side effects has galvanized opinion over safety with regard to treatment of Type 2 diabetes?and there has been no shortage of critics banishing Avandia to the virtual gallows. However there are those whom, Avandia risks aside, think the criticism is overdone to the point of fear mongering.
First responders missing out on overtime pay
Posted on September 11, 2009Public safety workers like corrections guards and firefighters have been working extra shifts to maintain coverage as many states institute hiring freezes and face stringent budgets, but their pay hasn't matched the regulations set out in overtime laws in several states.
Nurses say California labor law should apply to them
Posted on September 11, 2009Although the California labor code allows employees to organize into unions, nurses in the state are arguing that lawmakers need to ensure they have the ability to freely exercise their right to form protective associations.
Is Zicam Risk Worth the Benefit?
Posted on September 11, 2009Columbus, OH: It's a scenario that occurs in many households across the US: a person feels a cold coming on and reaches for the cold medication. In some cases, the cold medication that is reached for is Zicam. However, in many cases the cold sufferer assumes the side effects will include fatigue, headache or nausea, at worst...
"Yasmin Could Have Killed Me"
Posted on September 11, 2009Rochester, NY: Kayse only took Yasmin for five months but that proved long enough to likely cause a pulmonary embolism and a DVT in her leg. Also very disturbing is that doctors at the first hospital she went to didn't tell her to stop taking the birth control pill...
Chantix Suicide Attempt
Posted on September 10, 2009New York, NY: : Robert says he wasn't aware of any Chantix side effects; he couldn't understand why he was living under a dark cloud of depression, even though life was good and he was about to get married. But after his first Chantix suicide attempt, Robert called his doctor.
Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma ? Who Knew?
Posted on September 10, 2009Walnut Hill, Ill : After working in the US Navy for more than 20 years as a quartermaster, electronic technician and construction technician, Harles was diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma
Paxil lawsuit uncovers allegations of company-written medical articles
Posted on September 10, 2009Studies confirming a new antidepressant's safety and efficacy may allay the concerns of users, but the journal articles denying Paxil side effects were not written by the doctors listed as authors, according to reports.
Mid-Air Plane Crash Kills 1
Posted on September 10, 2009Phoenix, AZ:Two small planes collided mid-air yesterday about 40 miles south of Phoenix, in an eerie reminder of the recent mid-air collision between a helicopter and a small plane in New York. Yesterday's plane crash has left the occupant of a Cessna 150 dead and a second occupant of that plane injured: he was airlifted to hospital...
Levaquin Linked to Double Vision
Posted on September 10, 2009Portland, OR: As if tendinitis and tendon rupture were not serious enough Levaquin side effects, the antibiotic has now been linked to yet another side effect. The Levaquin medication, which already carries a warning about the risk of tendon ruptures and tendinitis, was linked in a study to an increased risk of diplopia (double vision)...
California wildfires lead to billboard warning of bad faith insurance claims
Posted on September 10, 2009Although billboards alleging improprieties by Mercury Insurance company were recently taken down in California, the group that paid for the advertisements says there is evidence that California homeowners should be cautious about bad faith insurance claims denied by Mercury.
Oklahoma Plane Crash Claims Four From One Family
Posted on September 10, 2009Tulsa, OK: The September 5th plane crash in Oklahoma that killed five people not only ended the lives of four from one family, but also tragically ended a love affair that began in high school. Dr. Stephen Lester and his wife Dana, both 48, perished together with two teenaged daughters Laura, 16 and Christina, 13...
Spiderman Says Chinese Drywall Remediation a Complex Issue
Posted on September 09, 2009Gainesville, FL A leading forensics expert on toxic mold raised a red flag recently about remediation of toxic Chinese Drywall. Spiderman S. Mulholland warns that it's one thing to have a contractor, or insurance adjuster agree to replace defective Chinese drywall...
Texas Employment Law: Right-To-Work
Posted on September 09, 2009Austin, TX: Texas employment law protects Texas employee rights by regulating how employers must treat their employees. One provision that has far reaching implications for the average Texas employee is the Right-to-Work law, which puts strict guidelines on organizations who want to make joining a union a requirement of employment.
"Get Avelox Off the Market," says Patient with Ruptured Tendon
Posted on September 09, 2009Salt Lake City, UT: " There is one good thing about Avelox," says Carl with a chuckle. "It got rid of my bronchitis but it almost got rid of me. Now I have one foot on a banana peel and the other on Avelox." Joking aside, Carl also says his ruptured tendon problems keep recurring and even his doctor blames it on Avelox.
Yasmin/Yaz Birth Control Linked to Gallbladder Problems
Posted on September 09, 2009Nampa, ID: Amber had her gallbladder removed when she was just 19 years old. At the time, no one associated Yasmin, the birth control she was taking, with gallbladder problems. Now 21, Amber says having her gallbladder removed "really sucks because I get really bad heartburn when I eat greasy and fatty foods, but they taste so good!"
Foodborne Illness: Recalls? What Recalls?
Posted on September 08, 2009Merced, CA:Simon went out to dinner with his wife and friends. He ordered a Caesar salad and just a few hours later he was in the bathroom vomiting and suffering from severe diarrhea. He had never experienced food poisoning so it didn't occur to Simon that he should go to hospital...
Is Phentermine Just as Dangerous as Fen-Phen?
Posted on September 08, 2009Dallas, TX: In 2001 Pat took phentermine, which was once half of the wildly popular Fen-phen cocktail, for about 3 years, until she developed an allergic reaction that has just gotten worse. Although Pat hasn't developed Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), she says this drug has caused both severe physical and psychological damage...
Gadolinium and Kidney Disease Just One Aspect of MRI Risk
Posted on September 08, 2009Washington, DC: The past few years has seen the emergence of a compelling and grievous result of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that relates to the use of the MRI contrast agent Gadolinium in patients having weak or diseased kidneys. However there are other MRI health risks.
Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning Difficult to Diagnose
Posted on September 07, 2009Baltimore, MD: People who use denture cream, such as Fixodent denture adhesive might think that their biggest concern should be whether or not their dentures stay in place. Unfortunately, some consumers are learning that use of too much Fixodent denture cream can result in denture cream zinc poisoning...
Michigan Attorney says Time to Put the Brakes on Dangerous Trucks
Posted on September 07, 2009Southfield, MI: Michigan Attorney Steve Gursten has reached his breaking point with bad truckers. With years of experience representing people injured or killed by dangerous trucks and truckers in truck accidents and a former president of the Truck Litigation Committee for the American Association of Justice (AAJ), Gursten says he is frankly ?disgusted? with what he sees.
Wall Street Fraud Cleanup Goes On?
Posted on September 07, 2009Coral Gables, FL: Wall Street gone wonky has left an endless trail of victims separated from their hard earned savings by reckless and grasping investment dealers. Many of those victims are retired Americans living in the state of Florida where attorney Ben Fernandez and his colleagues at Tramont Guerra & Nunez are working on behalf of clients that got way less than they bargained for.
Faulty Transmission Fluid Basis for Michigan Negligence Lawsuit
Posted on September 07, 2009Jackson, MI: Negligence comes in many forms?even in the supply of transmission fluid. That was the allegation of a negligence lawsuit heard earlier this summer in Jackson County Circuit Court. A collection of plaintiffs that represented various enterprises serving the automotive industry as service agents and rebuilders of transmissions alleged that a supplier of automotive transmission fluid (ATF) supplied faulty fluid that led to further tranny troubles.
Idaho Developer Called Out for Discrimination Against the Disabled
Posted on September 07, 2009Post Falls, ID: While racial discrimination and workplace discrimination constitute two of the most common affronts to discrimination law, one that is often overlooked but equally discriminatory is the ignorance towards persons with disabilities?not in the workplace, but where they live.
Counterfeit Botox Allegedly Used in Patient Procedures
Posted on September 07, 2009Bellevue, WA: At one time, Botox may have been considered treatment for only the wealthiest in society, but its use is becoming increasingly common among many groups in society, including young women. However, Botox side effects can be serious when the botulinum toxin spreads from the injection site to other areas of the body...
Heparin: A Long List of Reported Problems
Posted on September 06, 2009Rockville, MD: It sounds like a long list of serious issues concerning one drug: counterfeit ingredients, unsanitary manufacturing plants, severe allergic reactions, improper labeling and accidental infant overdoses. Yet all of these complaints have been alleged against heparin, a drug that was supposed to make things easier on patients, not harder...
New Report Raises Concern Over Cellphone Radiation
Posted on September 06, 2009Washington, DC: An exhaustive report on cellphone radiation and the links between cellphone use and brain tumors was published August 25 with little fanfare. That said, 'Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern' contains major insights and revelations with regard to the potential health risks of long-term cellphone use.
Oklahoma Plane Crash Kills Five
Posted on September 05, 2009Tulsa, OK: A plane crash in Oklahoma has taken five lives. According to cnn.com (September 5, 2009) the plane, a Piper PA-32, was flying from Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Field and headed to Dallas Texas. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane clipped a wire minutes after takeoff and crashed in Chandler Park in Tulsa.
The Latest Defective Product from China: Titanium
Posted on September 05, 2009Washington, DC: Yet another defective product issue has originated in China?and while personal injury in connection with the product has yet to be identified, the alarm bells are once again ringing over the potential for yet another defective product personal injury case...
Attorney Speaks About SunTrust HELOC
Posted on September 04, 2009Orlando, FL: People with a SunTrust Home Equity Line of Credit who received notice that their SunTrust HELOC account was being frozen, suspended or decreased might have thought that there was nothing they could do about the matter. However, Jeffrey Krinsk, managing partner at the law firm Finkelstein & Krinsk, says the opposite is true...
Is Alli the Next Fen-Phen?
Posted on September 04, 2009Washington, DC: Little more than a decade ago, thousands and thousands of consumers suffered severe side effects from Fen-phen, and even now, many people continue to be diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension, a life-threatening illness. Have Alli users forgotten the dangers of weight-loss drugs such as over-the-counter Alli or the prescription product, Xenical?
Fosamax Jawbone Death Trial Goes to the Jury
Posted on September 04, 2009Manhattan, NY: It may not necessarily be a headache medication on trial, but the outcome could be a headache for pharmaceutical giant Merck as it works to complete a multi-billion dollar merger with Schering-Plough. At issue is Fosamax, a drug that has been taken by millions of women to offset bone loss associated with menopause...
In Bankruptcy Tied to Divorce, Expectations Are Changing
Posted on September 04, 2009Valrico, FL: There is brave talk about one of the worst recessions in history finally ending. That said, bankruptcy and bankruptcy debt continues to be a factor for more and more Americans. Bankruptcy law allows for the means to start again, but the road is hard and the involvement of a personal bankruptcy lawyer is a given.
Patient Worries His Heart Problems Related to Avandia Use
Posted on September 04, 2009Wildwood, FL: Dennis W. is not positive his medical problems are related to his use of Avandia. However, he says that he took Avandia for a long time, quitting after he learned that Avandia was linked to heart problems. Since the time in which he had started to take Avandia, Dennis has endured stent implantation, bypass surgery and surgery to repair his sternum following bypass surgery.
Medical Malpractice Settlement: Good News and Bad News
Posted on September 03, 2009Altadena, CA: Greg recently won a medical malpractice lawsuit and he welcomes this opportunity to talk with LawyersandSettlements about his settlement, along with some words of advice: " I want to warn men to get their prostate checked and don't let my story deter you," Greg says, "and if you have a choice of health insurers, don't go with Kaiser...
MRI Health Risks: NSF/NFD Without Kidney Failure?
Posted on September 03, 2009Seattle, WA:It isn't known how many people could be suffering from Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF/NFD)associated with MRI Health Risks, possibly because NSF is a recent man-made disease and not recognized by all health professionals. But it is very real and perhaps not limited to people with kidney failure: Brenda has lived a nightmare, seeing her once-healthy husband suffer such a debilitating and horrific disease.
Pfizer Hit With Huge Fine, Whistleblowers Reap Millions
Posted on September 03, 2009Washington, DC: The world's largest pharmaceutical company was hit yesterday with the largest fine ever levied against a drug manufacturer for unlawful activity. Meanwhile a collection of six whistleblowers will take home $102 million for their role in ensuring the pharma juggernaut was held accountable.
Hefty Fines for Antitrust Conspirators Fixing Prices of LCD Screens
Posted on September 03, 2009Washington, DC: Antitrust laws and other provisions of the Antitrust Act governing alleged price fixing were thrust to the forefront of public conscience yet again with the announcement late last month of an agreement by Epson Imaging Device Corporation (Epson) to pay a $26 million criminal fine for its role in a price-fixing conspiracy involving the sale of LCD display panels sold to Motorola...
Patients Concerned About Zicam Side Effects
Posted on September 03, 2009San Antonio, TX: Patients who experienced Zicam side effects including Zicam smell loss, have been left wondering if they will ever regain their sense of smell. Some say that they experienced the Zicam loss of smell a few years ago, but their doctors were unable to diagnose what caused this damage...
Man Wonders About Wife's Long-Term Reglan Use
Posted on September 02, 2009Lubbock, TX: Wilbert L. is not positive that what his wife, Earline, is experiencing is Reglan tardive dyskinesia. He knows about Reglan side effects, thanks to research by his daughter, but does not know if his wife is suffering from her long-term Reglan use...
Sigg Admits BPA Bisphenol in Older Metal Water Bottles
Posted on September 02, 2009Stamford, CT: A trendy metal water bottle that cashed in over BPA Bisphenol concerns in plastic bottles appears to have a BPA products scandal of its own. Sigg, the maker of metal personal water bottles that are sold in 15,000 stores worldwide, recently admitted that bottles manufactured prior to August of last year featured an inner liner that contained trace amounts of Bisphenol A.
Motorcycle Accident Summary a Painful Tale of Death and Destruction
Posted on September 02, 2009Staten Island, NY: Any summary of motorcycle accidents will invariably include numerous collisions with cars. Such a motorcycle accident can cause not only motorcycle injury, but in many cases certain death?as has been the case with several accidents...
Pfizer to Pay $2.3 Billion to Settle Investigation
Posted on September 02, 2009New York, NY: Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay a $2.3 billion to settle an investigation into the company's drug marketing practices. As part of the $2.3 billion settlement, Pfizer will pay a $1.2 billion criminal fine. The fine is reportedly the largest in US history...
Former Toyota Rollover Lawyer Alleges Foul Play
Posted on September 01, 2009New York, NY: A lawyer formerly employed at Toyota is crying "Foul", alleging the automaker has deliberately withheld important documents in hundreds of product-liability lawsuits in which it was named as defendant. This amounts to conspiracy to obstruct justice, Dimitrios Biller's lawyers argue.
"I Believe Actos Killed My Husband"
Posted on September 01, 2009Las Vegas, NV: "My husband, son and I contracted an upper respiratory infection last November," says Darlene. "We stopped coughing and recovered about 3 weeks later but my husband didn't get better so he was prescribed Actos. He never got over it and I believe Actos caused his death...
Family Awarded $2 Million Settlement in Asbestos Mesothelioma Case
Posted on September 01, 2009Bloomington, IL: Leslie Corry's husband worked at Union Asbestos & Rubber Company during the 1950s, and was exposed to asbestos fibers on a regular basis. And he brought those toxic fibers home on his clothing, exposing his wife, who later died of asbestos mesothelioma resulting from secondary exposure.
D-I-V-O-R-C-E a Four-Letter Word in the Wrong Hands
Posted on September 01, 2009Wernersville, PA: The ongoing revelations with regard to the separation of the infamous Jon and Kate, of Jon & Kate Plus 8 fame is once again a stark reminder that divorce is happening all around us. If you haven?t gone through a divorce, someone you know has been touched by family law...
Chinese Drywall?Does Statute of Limitations Apply?
Posted on September 01, 2009Pahrump, NV:Susan hasn't yet determined if her home is contaminated with Chinese drywall and now she is up against another wall: A lawyer told her the statute of limitations in Nevada had changed from two years to one year.
Hostile Work Environment?Violation of California Labor Law?
Posted on August 31, 2009Los Alametos, CA: There are many forms of a hostile work environment; sexual harassment and discrimination clearly violate the California labor law while other forms of California labor employment laws are not so cut and dry and may need a lawyer to determine whether your rights are being violated...
Levaquin Still a Threat, Victim Questions Impartiality of the FDA
Posted on August 31, 2009Harrisburg, PA: This is a story primarily about Levaquin and Levaquin side effects, including Levaquin tendon ruptures and various other adverse reactions to the Levaquin medication. However an underlying theme is the ongoing criticism of the pharmaceutical industry and concern for how the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is funded.
When the Patient Goes Home, So Does the Hospital MSRA Infection
Posted on August 31, 2009Atlanta, GA: An MRSA infection, or ?super bug? due to its resistance to common antibiotics, frequently accompanies a patient out of the hospital and piggybacks into patient homes, according to recent research appearing in Archives of Internal Medicine...
Blood Clot Risk for Yasmin Birth Control 6.3 Fold Above Baseline
Posted on August 31, 2009Toronto, ON: Concern over the Yasmin birth control pill and Yasmin side effects center on thrombosis, or blood clots--Yaz blood clots, according to some. However, there remains a blood clot risk for all oral contraceptives, although some pose a higher risk than others...
Whistleblower Round-up: $450,000 For Expelled Nursing Student
Posted on August 30, 2009Jasper, GA: While some may view whistleblowers as proverbial 'rats,' whistleblowing can be both morally satisfying and financially lucrative?although the incentive must always be on the former. The need and the freedom to speak out are protected by a whistleblower act...
Paxil Reportedly Linked to Sexual Dysfunction
Posted on August 30, 2009Milwaukee, WI: Among the list of drug side effects that people might not expect to read about, sexual dysfunction probably ranks close to the top. However, some medications, including antidepressants such as Paxil, have reportedly been linked to an increased incidence of sexual dysfunction...
Canadian Health Officials Announce Foodborne Illness Recall, Could Have US Implications
Posted on August 30, 2009Ottawa, ON: A foodborne illness recall originating from Canada is always a concern in the summer months given the migration of vacationers across borders. Economic challenges have caused more people to scale back grandiose vacation plans, resulting in more day trips and holidaying a bit closer to home...
Husband Became Aggressive on Chantix, Wife Feared For Her Life
Posted on August 29, 2009Washington, DC: A smoking cessation drug that has been linked to suicide and various other adverse reactions continues to bedevil the industry. For some, Chantix has worked and worked well. However for others, Chantix side effects have infected their lives in ways they could never imagine...
Studies Examine Actos and Avandia Side Effects
Posted on August 29, 2009Deerfield, IL: Two recently published studies have examined Actos side effects and Avandia side effects. One study found that the link between Actos and heart failure was less than the link between Avandia and heart failure. The other study found a greater risk of fracture in people taking Actos over those taking other diabetes medications, including Avandia...
Mississippi Man Has Opposite SSDI Problem: Payments Won?t STOP
Posted on August 28, 2009Byram, MS: Most will tell you that successfully acquiring social security disability (SSDI) is a painful, painstaking process that involves long delays and often the denial of a legitimate claim. It is for this reason that many SSDI applicants will hire the services of a qualified SSDI attorney to help them with what is often a bureaucratic nightmare in the pursuit of SSDI benefits.
Ammonia Leak at Salami Plant Injures 24
Posted on August 28, 2009An ammonia leak at a salami plant in South San Francisco early Friday morning has been contained, but not before 24 people working at the plant received medical care for personal injury. Emergency personnel at the scene treated 16 people, and a further 8 were taken to local hospitals...
Diet Watch: Fen-Phen Fat Cats and Alli-Oop(s)
Posted on August 28, 2009Covington, KY: The Fen-Phen diet pill was once-upon-a-time the last word in dieting for millions of overweight Americans before the Fen-Phen drug was pulled off the market by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over concerns for primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), a disease affecting the lungs.
"Stevens Johnson Syndrome Almost Killed My Daughter"
Posted on August 28, 2009Wenatchee, WA: "My 16-year-old daughter, Chelsea, was prescribed Lamictal to control her mood swings," says Shelly. "We were told she might get a slight rash but no one told us she would wind up in ICU with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS ), which led to [Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis TEN...
Chemical Fire Causes Evacuations, Explosions in Michigan
Posted on August 27, 2009A chemical fire in Hamtramck, Michigan, that resulted in the evacuation of 750 residents has been brought under control, according to local news reports. This afternoon residents were told they could return home.
California Labor Lawsuit Sees Settlement of $22 Million
Posted on August 27, 2009San Jose, CA: Two lawsuits that have made the news recently highlight the importance of employers following California labor law and properly compensating employees for all hours worked. One lawsuit involves a multi-million dollar settlement for employees while the other involves employees who say patients at a hospital received inadequate care due to violations of California employee labor law.
Medical Imaging Patients Exposed to High Levels of Radiation: Study
Posted on August 27, 2009Washington, DC: Americans are being exposed to levels of radiation in medical imaging tests that are higher than levels deemed safe for workers at nuclear power plants, according to a new study being published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
?This Noose is for You?
Posted on August 27, 2009Birmingham, AL: Even though the plaintiffs and the Nucor Corp Steel is slightly out of the firm?s usual geographical area, veteran civil rights and discrimination lawyer Robert L. Wiggins says the facts of the case are so compelling that when the NAACP approached him, he took the case.
The Two Faces of Avelox
Posted on August 26, 2009Washington, DC: The Avelox antibiotic and related Avelox side effects?tendon rupture among them?is yet another example of the prescription drug culture we find ourselves in today. Drugs are designed to do incredible things, such as eradicate serious bacterial infections...
Cancer Experts Say Tamoxifen Still Safe Despite New Potential Risk
Posted on August 26, 2009Washington, DC: The complicated world of pharmaceutical drugs was further complicated yesterday after a drug commonly used for the treatment of breast cancer?and still regarded as safe?was found to potentially carry a new risk.
Report Outlines Treatment Recommendations Regarding Antidepressants and Pregnancy
Posted on August 26, 2009Washington, DC: Women who take Paxil and are worried about Paxil side effects now have a little guidance regarding antidepressant use while pregnant. A joint report released on August 21, 2009, and issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), has set out treatment recommendations for women who are experiencing depression.
Settlements Announced in ERISA Lawsuits
Posted on August 25, 2009Seattle, WA: People who participate in employee stock options plans, employee savings plans or other employee benefit plans might not think twice about trusting that their company will do right by them. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. There are situations where companies violate ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) leaving it up to employees to protect not only their rights but also their finances.
Plant Explodes in Ancaster
Posted on August 25, 2009A three-alarm fire continues to rage in the town of Ancaster, 50 miles south of Toronto, Canada, this morning, after several propane tanks exploded at a furniture manufacturing plant.
New Proposed Legislation Poised to Fight Workplace Gender Discrimination
Posted on August 25, 2009Washington, DC: There are various instances of workplace discrimination that have contributed to changes in discrimination law. As a result religious discrimination, age discrimination, employee discrimination and workplace gender discrimination simply have no place in the workplace.
?Tell it like it is? says New York Personal Injury Lawyer
Posted on August 24, 2009Hauppauge, NY: With 20-plus years as a personal injury lawyer, Michael Levine?s advice to clients may be one of the best pieces of free info you ever get. ?I always tell my clients, just tell it like it is,? says Levine, in a soft-spoken ?New Yorkah? accent...
"Deadly Errors Made Every Day," says former OR Nurse
Posted on August 24, 2009Charlottesville, VA: A former operating room nurse, who claims she herself was the victim of a botched surgery, is speaking out loud and clear about medical malpractice and medical mistakes that injure or kill thousands and thousands of Americans every year...
Ill-Fitting Dentures Promote Excessive Denture Cream Use, Leads to Zinc Poisoning
Posted on August 24, 2009Dallas, TX: The debate over Fixodent denture adhesive and alleged Fixodent zinc poisoning is further complicated by the fact zinc, as a trace element, is part of a healthy diet. However, too much isn't good for you. Thus, denture cream zinc poisoning happens when too much zinc is used.
New Study Suggests Avandia Worse than Actos, Glaxo Cries Foul
Posted on August 23, 2009Toronto, ON: New research out of Canada pertaining to Avandia side effects and Avandia risks appears to suggest that patients taking Avandia have a greater chance for developing heart failure?and have a greater risk of death?than those taking rival type 2 diabetes drug Actos.
Contaminated Heparin Deadly to Some
Posted on August 23, 2009Elizabethtown, KY: When it comes to the heparin recalls, it appears that what you don't know really can hurt you. After all, patients thought they were getting their normal dose of heparin only to find out that they may have been exposed to contaminated heparin, either through the replacement of a heparin ingredient or through the manufacture of heparin at an unsanitary plant...
Patient Given Both Levaquin and Cipro
Posted on August 23, 2009Plymouth, MA: Suzanne M. was given both Levaquin and Cipro for her medical problems. Now, she says she is not sure which caused her tendon problems, but she says she has been suffering for a while with severe Achilles tendonitis. Unfortunately, both Cipro and Levaquin side effects include tendon problems, so Suzanne may have been exposed to a double-dose of side effects.
FDA: Oral Sodium Phosphates Not Safe For Double Dose
Posted on August 23, 2009Bellevue, WA: They are two things that many people might not think go together: the use of an oral sodium phosphate and an increased risk of kidney failure. However, according to warnings released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the risk of OSP kidney damage is high enough that the products' uses have been revised...
Crash of US Military Helicopter Claims Four Members of Elite Team
Posted on August 23, 2009Washington, DC: Four soldiers who died August 19 in a helicopter crash have been identified. As it turns out the four killed in the military helicopter accident were four members of an elite special operations unit. Needless to say, the helicopter crash news was devastating not only to the families of those killed, but to the military as well.
Auction Rate Securities and Stock Broker Arbitration
Posted on August 22, 2009New York, NY: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed a lawsuit against brokerage firm Charles Schwab, alleging the company committed fraud and misled investors in the sale of auction rate securities. Some investors who have not had their auction rate securities bought back by their brokerage firms are now considering filing a stock broker arbitration to recover their money...
Asbestos Mesothelioma Led to Death of Iconic Actor
Posted on August 22, 2009Hollywood, CA: Asbestos mesothelioma is a killer the world is coming to terms with thanks to a continuing parade of revelations about mesothelioma cancer: what it is, what causes it and the sometimes decades-long timeframe involved in its emergence following asbestos exposure...
Wrongful Termination and WARN
Posted on August 22, 2009Charleston, WV: People get fired all the time, but when those people are fired without proper reason, there can be a cause to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. People who believe they were wrongfully terminated from their job can file a lawsuit to recover lost wages, future earnings and, in some cases, reinstatement to their job...
Employers Employ Various Tactics to Deny Workers Compensation
Posted on August 22, 2009Atlanta, GA: Employees who want to protect their rights with regard to workers' compensation need to stay informed, lest they find themselves led down the garden path. While workers' compensation law is pretty straightforward with regard to workers' compensation claims, not all employers are?
"I Paid the Makers of Yasmin to Kill Me"
Posted on August 21, 2009Hardy, KY: Sherri H. was prescribed Yasmin for PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and was on the birth control pill for two years, until she wound up in hospital with a blood clot in her lung. "I am furious that Yasmin or Yaz is riskier than other birth control pills," says Sherri," and I was giving Bayer $63 per month to kill me!"
New Study Underscores Equation MRI Gadolinium + Kidney Disease = NSF / NFD
Posted on August 21, 2009Durham, NC: While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continues to be a life-saving tool for doctors, the MRI contrast agent that is used to highlight images are proving to impose a host of MRI contrast side effects?not the least of which is the potential for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) and Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NFD), a discoloring and hardening of the skin...
Stevens Johnson Syndrome: "My Husband's Eyes were Sewn Shut"
Posted on August 21, 2009San Antonio, TX: In May, 2009 Melina's husband had a cyst that indicated traces of staph infection so he took an antibiotic for 12 days. "On the 12th day Sean's eyes were irritated and red and he was also congested so he took some allergy meds," says Melina...
Auction Rate Lawsuit Launched Against Charles Schwab & Co.
Posted on August 21, 2009New York, NY: The auction rate securities debacle of 2007 has made a return to the public conscience with the recent filing of an auction rate securities market lawsuit against Charles Schwab & Co. (Schwab) by the Office of the Attorney General for the State of New York...
UPS Faces $100 Million Overtime Lawsuit
Posted on August 20, 2009Atlanta, GA: When it comes to fighting for overtime pay, employees who believe their employers are violating overtime laws are not giving up. In fact, some of them are filing lawsuits, attempting to receive pay for overtime hours worked. One such lawsuit was filed against UPS, alleging the company owes $100 million in damages for not properly paying certain employees for all hours worked.
More Evidence Against Avandia
Posted on August 20, 2009A new study published this week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has determined that people taking the diabetes medication avandia, made by GlaxoSmithKline, are at greater risk for heart failure than people taking a competing drug, Actos, by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Increase in Personal Bankruptcies Driven by Health Costs
Posted on August 20, 2009Washington, DC: Bankruptcy is something we all fear. Beyond the thought of running afoul of bankruptcy law and the need to secure the services of a personal bankruptcy lawyer, is the hit on personal pride that debt and bankruptcy is certain to deliver...
Dermatologists Diagnosed NSF from Contrast Agent during MRI
Posted on August 20, 2009Adairsville, GA: Jim Roberts was on dialysis when he was given a contrast agent with gadolinium before having an MRI. That was three years ago. Now Jim is in a wheelchair because his feet are straight from the ankles out--his joints are contracted--due to Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NFD)...
Chinese Drywall Cases Fast-Tracked
Posted on August 20, 2009New Orleans, LA: A judge from Louisiana has been given the job of dealing with all the Chinese drywall lawsuits that are being gathered together in a Multi District Litigation( MDL) case and he?s made it clear he will be moving fast. ?That?s good news,? says New Orleans attorney Joesph Bruno...
Paxil Maker Accused of Having Articles Ghostwritten
Posted on August 19, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Amid the furor over reported Paxil side effects comes news that not all of the medical journal articles about the antidepressants were written by doctors. This could call into question the findings from those articles, especially those that may have painted Paxil in a good light...
"Smell Ya Later" Does Not Apply to Zicam Smell Loss Plaintiffs
Posted on August 19, 2009Boston, MA: The incidence of Zicam smell loss may have been a surprise to users not expecting such Zicam side effects. However, Zicam loss of smell is not news to manufacturer Matrixx, which has received adverse reaction reports with regard to Zicam smell issues since 1999.
Woman Compares Denture Cream to "Molotov Cocktail"
Posted on August 19, 2009Locust Grove, OK: Consumers who use Fixodent denture adhesive and other denture creams may be surprised to learn that certain denture creams have been linked to zinc poisoning. What may surprise them even more is that they may have been suffering symptoms of denture cream zinc poisoning but blamed those symptoms on something else...
A Shred of Evidence
Posted on August 19, 2009San Francisco, CA: San Francisco attorney Chris Dolan is on a noon hour break from a medical malpractice trial:72-year-old Diane Stewart, a mother and a grandmother who liked to swim and help out at her local church went into the hospital to have two knee replacements...
A Tale of Two Cipro Victims
Posted on August 19, 2009Mineral Point, WI : From the number of complaints LawyersandSettlements has received regarding Cipro and its link to tendonitis and tendon ruptures, these side effects aren't so rare as the manufacturer indicates.
Reglan Patient Describes Side Effects
Posted on August 18, 2009Casa Grande, AZ: Donna H. (name withheld) says she expected her doctor would tell her about any serious Reglan side effects, so she was surprised to learn about the link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia.
Unum's Independent Medical Examiners and Differing Diagnoses
Posted on August 18, 2009Florence, KY: According to many people who have been denied Unum health insurance benefits, their doctors' diagnoses and those of Unum's independent medical examiners (IME) are not on the same page. Renata (name withheld) is disabled; even though she wants to go back to work as an ER nurse she can't...
Construction Site Accidents Can be Life Changing or Deadly
Posted on August 18, 2009Lionville, NJ: Construction is risky business?and even when precautions are taken a construction accident causing construction injury or death is devastating to a family. Were a construction worker accident to cause permanent disability and the contractor was deemed at fault, a construction accident law firm is your fist line of defense.
New Orleans Grocer Wins Appeal in Massive Bad Faith Insurance Claim
Posted on August 18, 2009New Orleans, LA: A bad faith insurance case involving a grocer from New Orleans turned into a happy ending after an appeals court upheld a 2008 ruling that found in favour of the plaintiff in a lawsuit championed by an insurance bad faith attorney?as most successful lawsuits are, of course.
Final Fantasy XI Gamers Fight Back
Posted on August 18, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Fans of Final Fantasy XI are so devoted it has taken years for players of the online role playing game to accuse Square Enix, the company that owns the game, of unfair billing practices. ?I have spoken to many of these players and I can assure you there is an addiction and loyalty to this game that surprises you,? says consumer protection attorney Ron Makarem.
Recent Developments in Chinese Drywall Lawsuits
Posted on August 18, 2009New Orleans, LA: Attorney Gary Mason, one of about 50 lawyers nationwide assigned to work on the Chinese drywall case, discusses with LawyersandSettlements recent developments in the ongoing contaminated drywall litigation?
Beef Packers Salmonella Beef Outbreak Spreads
Posted on August 17, 2009Fresno, CA: California has now joined several states warning its citizens not to eat salmonella-contaminated ground beef, another foodborne illness. Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), has warned Californians not to eat ground beef manufactured by Beef Packers, Inc...
When a Cruise Ship Accident Happens
Posted on August 17, 2009Miami, FL: A boating accident, whether it involves a small personal watercraft on a lake, or a cruise ship accident in international waters, can be both tragic and complicated. Cruise ships, for example might be owned by a US company and based in familiar American ports...
Keeping the Faith Despite Black Box Warning for Chantix Suicide
Posted on August 17, 2009Washington, DC: There is no doubt that Chantix works for some. But even those who credit Chantix for helping them kick the nicotine habit admit to thoughts of suicide and various other Chantix side effects. Chantix warnings last month included a new black box warning for Chantix and suicide.
Traumatic Brain Injury Increasing Problem for US Soldiers in Iraq
Posted on August 17, 2009San Diego, CA: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the worst brain injuries to have. The so-called closed-head injury occurs when the skull itself is not compromised, so the injury is to the brain only and is often not readily apparent from the initial brain injury accident...
Former AIG CEO to Pay $15 Million to Settle Claims
Posted on August 16, 2009New York, NY: The former chairman and chief executive officer of AIG will pay $15 million to settle claims he misled investors. Although the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not allege that Maurice "Hank" Greenberg was involved in securities fraud, it does allege that he and another AIG officer, Howard Smith, manipulated the company's earnings...
Fen-phen User's Cause of Death: PPH
Posted on August 16, 2009Chicago, IL:Chris (name withheld) says his mother, a Fen-phen user, passed away in Sept 2007 of PPH. She was part of the American Home Products (now Wyeth) class action settlement and received $1 per day for however long she used it?a total of $132...
New Dog Attack Law in Louisiana Carries Bigger Negligence Bite
Posted on August 16, 2009Metairie, LA: A new state negligence law in Louisiana that relates to dog attacks could give victims more options when pursuing negligence liability and potentially, a negligence lawsuit. The 'Luna McDaniel and Michael 'Blaise' Landry Act' is named after an 83-year-old woman and a 4-year-old boy, both of whom were mauled to death by dogs within the past year, according to a report in today's edition of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Allegations of Conflict Dog FDA Official Over Generic Heparin Drug
Posted on August 16, 2009Washington, DC: In a pharmaceutical world bedeviled by drug side effects, drug defects and even medical device safety inherent with products put out by medical device companies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has at various times found itself called out for everything from lax oversight to slow response times.
Air Traffic Controller Suspended for Chatting during Hudson Crash
Posted on August 14, 2009Washington, DC: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has suspended two air traffic controllers who were at the helm as last week?s plane crash took place over the Hudson River, killing nine people. According to the FAA spokesperson, the disciplinary action was taken after investigators discovered that the air traffic controller who was handling the flight of the Piper airplane that initiated from New Jersey?s Teterboro Airport was ?involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident...
For Chinese Drywall Victims, a Ray of Hope
Posted on August 14, 2009New Orleans, LA: Victims of the Chinese drywall debacle finally have something to cheer about. The judge assigned to hear the consolidated cases (about 600 lawsuits so far) appears intent on fast-tracking the China drywall cases, while a new law currently in the pipeline could make it easer for consumers to sue offshore manufacturers of shoddy products.
California Labor Law: Working Round the Clock
Posted on August 14, 2009Sacramento, CA: Over the years, LawyersandSettlements has interviewed many disgruntled hourly employees who have worked over and above their 40-hour work week and have not received overtime pay, contrary to the California Labor Law. From IT employees to maintenance workers, employers are increasingly 'squeezing' their employees to work more hours.
Medical Malpractice Plaintiff Awarded Over a Million Dollars
Posted on August 14, 2009Newport, VA: A woman who won her medical malpractice lawsuit has been paid $1.8 million. The plaintiff, Leslie Thorne, alleged in her lawsuit that an emergency room doctor misdiagnosed her heart condition, resulting in her needing a heart transplant. The medical malpractice claim initially resulted in an award of $4 million, but the award was reduced because of caps on medical malpractice damages in Virginia.
California Woman Wins Largest SJS Award So Far at $6 Million
Posted on August 13, 2009Los Angeles, CA: In what is a record award for an SJS case in the state of California, a Chinese immigrant has been granted more than US $6 million for her suffering with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TENS) following a round of therapy with the drug Allopurinol...
FAA Warned About Concerns Before Mid-Air Plane Crash
Posted on August 13, 2009Washington, DC: Literally a month before the New York City plane crash that involved a mid-air collision with a tourist helicopter in the congested air corridor above the Hudson River, the US Department of Transportation slammed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for lax oversight of the ?on-demand? flight industry...
MRI Health Risks and NSF/NFD: Interview with Attorney Debra DeCarli
Posted on August 13, 2009San Francisco, CA: Attorney Debra DeCarli represents clients who have been stricken with Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NFD), an incurable disease associated with MRI Health Risks. DeCarli is mainly focused on warning people at risk of developing NSF/NFD via gadolinium-based contrast agent used during an MRI or MRA, particularly dialysis patients, or people with any type of kidney impairment.
Amazon Faces Kindle Lawsuits
Posted on August 13, 2009San Francisco, CA: With the onset of new technologies comes the possibility that new a new breed of telecommunications lawsuit will emerge. These new media lawsuits have come about after consumer complaints regarding new media and telecommunications platforms, including the electronic book reader known as Kindle.
Lawyer Raises Objection to Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash
Posted on August 12, 2009Troy, MI: A young lawyer from Troy, Michigan was puzzled by the brownish stains that suddenly began to appear on this teeth, then he gradually started to make the connection between his new mouthwash and the dramatic changes he saw in the mirror. ?I never had stains like this on my teeth until after I started using Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash,? says Mark Rossman...
Heparin Doesn't have to be Contaminated to be Dangerous
Posted on August 12, 2009Boston, MA: While the world has been focused over the last couple of years on Heparin contamination, there are other risks associated with Heparin injection. According to a recently published article by a noted expert on blood coagulation, Heparin reaction is a factor in some patients and it has nothing to do with tainted Heparin.
Health Canada Removes Bowel Cleansing Indication for OTC OSPs
Posted on August 12, 2009Ottawa, ON: Concerns over oral sodium phosphate (OSP) continue, with the latest salvo in the OSP debate coming from Health Canada. Earlier this month the Canadian health agency declared that oral phosphate soda is no longer indicated for purgative use (bowel cleansing) due to a risk for OSP kidney damage, while stressing oral sodium phosphate products in general remain safe for use as a laxative.
Attorney says Clock's Ticking on Filing Avandia Lawsuits
Posted on August 12, 2009Minneapolis, MN: If you believe you may have been harmed by the use of Avandia, it is important to note that your time to file a lawsuit against the maker of the drug could be running out. According to Stuart Goldenberg, senior partner at Goldenberg & Johnson, the statute of limitations in many states is coming up soon, and there still may be people who do not realize that the injury they have suffered could be related to their Avandia use.
Defective Auto Lawsuit Launched One Year After Women Dies in Rollover
Posted on August 12, 2009Texarkana, AR: An auto defect involving a 2000 Ford Explorer that was allegedly responsible for the death of an Arkansas woman is the subject of a defective automobile lawsuit in Texarkana. An auto defect lawyer is representing the family of the late Mona Troutman.
Salmonella Beef Outbreak Illnesses Rises While Cargill Refuses to Identify Where the Beef Was Sold
Posted on August 11, 2009Fresno, CA: As salmonella illness totals continue to rise, officials at Cargill, Inc. refuse to identify the grocery chains to which their contaminated beef was sold. Last Thursday, Beef Packers, Inc. (owned by Cargill, Inc.) recalled over 400 tons of ground beef shipped this summer because of a foodborne illness outbreak of a drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Newport.
New York Car Accident Takes Eight Lives
Posted on August 11, 2009Garden City, NY: It was the car accident that grabbed headlines across the US. A woman drove the wrong way on a highway, causing a car crash that took eight lives. Now, while the victims' families contemplate filing a lawsuit, there are differing versions about what exactly caused the tragedy.
Spinal Pain Pumps Could Develop Tip Granuloma
Posted on August 11, 2009Indianapolis, IN: Much has been written about the shoulder pain pump and its role in shoulder injury occurring after shoulder surgery. However there are other kinds of pain pumps?including the kind that feed pain medication directly to the spinal cord for back pain.
Asbestos Mesothelioma, A Plumber's Story
Posted on August 11, 2009Dahlonega, GA: After returning home from World War II, Margi's father began a career as a plumber, a career that would last many years, and in the end be responsible for his death. Mr. Hall was lethally exposed to asbestos during his work. He died of asbestos mesothelioma in 2004.
This Barbecue Season, make your Burgers or Wieners Well Done
Posted on August 11, 2009Guelph, ON: Maple Leaf products may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes bacteria again, another foodborne illness , about one year after the company's listeriosis crisis that prompted Canada's nationwide recall and linked to the deaths of 22 Canadians...
Chinese Drywall: Literally Up Against the Wall
Posted on August 10, 2009Port St. Lucy, FL: Kim bought a new house in 2007 and leased it to a tenant who complained of Chinese drywall. "I had a home inspection done that indeed confirmed Chinese drywall problems and my tenant moved out, afraid of the effects it would have on their health," says Kim...
Zicam User Talks About Loss of Smell
Posted on August 10, 2009Arlington Heights, IL: For some people who took Zicam to treat symptoms of a cold, the cure might just be worse than the disease. The reason is that one of the more serious Zicam side effects is the loss of the sense of smell. This Zicam smell loss might be permanent and could, depending on a person's situation, be life-threatening.
Yasmin Birth Control Containing Drospirenone Gives Birth to More Lawsuits
Posted on August 10, 2009Washington, DC: The newest form of birth control, Yasmin/Yaz, has given birth to a mass tort against Bayer Corp., the manufacturer. Several lawsuits filed in federal court claim that a new ingredient-- the progestin component called drospirenone-presents dangerous risk that the company failed to warn about...
Reported Levaquin Side Effects "Life-Changing"
Posted on August 10, 2009Southern Pines, NC: When Melissa was first given the Levaquin antibiotic she very likely did not know about Levaquin side effects and how serious they could be. Since Melissa was given Levaquin, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a black box warning for the antibiotic, alerting patients to the risk of tendonitis (or tendinitis), tendon rupture and contracted tendons.
Salmonella Beef Foodborne Illness Outbreak Spreads to 11 States
Posted on August 10, 2009Fresno, CA: Health officials have now reported that at least 27 people have fallen ill from a Salmonella Newport foodborne illness outbreak that prompted the recall of more than 412 tons of ground beef. The beef was manufactured by Beef Packers Inc. in Fresno, California, a unit of Minneapolis-based agribusiness giant Cargill, Inc.
Former Apple Employee Launches Class Action for Unpaid Overtime
Posted on August 10, 2009Tallahassee, FL: The issue of overtime pay continues to be a frustration for both employer and employee. It remains hard for employers to budget for overtime-which affects their bottom line-while employees deserve to be paid for hours worked. Overtime laws and overtime rules govern the disputes that are inevitable.
Pending Supreme Court Antitrust Ruling Could Impact Professional Sports
Posted on August 10, 2009Washington, DC: Antitrust laws are being put to the test in what could turn out to be a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court. An antitrust act lawsuit originally filed by a supplier to the National Football League (NFL) and already dealt with by a series of lower courts will soon be up for consideration by the highest court...
More Bodies and Helicopter Fuselage Found in River
Posted on August 09, 2009New York, NY: NYPD divers found two more bodies buried in the plane and helicopter crash wreckage Sunday morning. The Police divers have recovered five bodies from the fuselage of a tourist helicopter in the Hudson River mid-air collision and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crane has now removed the Liberty Helicopter that collided with a low-flying airplane on Saturday.
PPH and Fen-Phen: Herbal Recipe Just as Dangerous
Posted on August 09, 2009Washington, DC: Many people equate the words "natural", "organic" and "herbal" as safe and harmless, and good for you. But when it comes to herbal Fen-phen, nothing could be further from the truth. The association with PPH and Fen-phen has been known since 1997, and since that time, some companies put herbal Fen-phen on the market...
The Reality of Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia: Not a Pretty Sight
Posted on August 09, 2009Washington, DC: The most heartbreaking of Reglan side effects can be hard to watch: Reglan tardive dyskinesia, or involuntary movement. And yet a recent edition of 'FDA Patient Safety News,' a regular video update produced under the auspices of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows in grimacing detail the personified link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia.
Aircraft Collision now Recovery Mission
Posted on August 08, 2009New York, NY: The helicopter and plane crash that collided over the Hudson River around noon today is now a recovery mission, reported CNN. There were 3 people on the plane and 6 in the helicopter. One of the occupants in the plane was a child, and there were 5 Italian tourists on board in the helicopter plus the pilot...
UK Women Still in the Dark About SSRI Birth Defect Risk
Posted on August 08, 2009Bangor, Wales: It will be two years next month that a study of nearly 500,000 women by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center revealed nearly half of women taking an ssri antidepressant had no idea their medication could cause SSRI birth defects.
Helicopter and Small Plane Collide in Mid-Air in Lower Manhattan
Posted on August 08, 2009New York, NY: Yet another air disaster has unfolded over the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan after a tourist helicopter and a small plane collided in mid-air around noon today. The plane crash rained debris into the water below.
Acetaminophen Aches
Posted on August 08, 2009Boston, MA: It might just be one of the best-known drugs on the market, but acetaminophen is now coming under fire after it was linked to an increased risk of liver failure.
Privacy a Concern for Both Sides in California Labor Law
Posted on August 08, 2009Pasadena, CA: Two employees in a California office who objected to hidden surveillance in their work area sued their employer for invasion of privacy, only to lose in a recent California Supreme Court decision. The California Labor Law case may have been a victory for the employer, with the Supreme Court upholding limitations on the right to privacy...
Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning Can Affect Young Adults
Posted on August 07, 2009Boca Raton, FL: Talk of dentures and denture cream often brings to mind images of senior citizens-the people who are most often associated with tooth loss. So, it is natural that when it comes to denture cream poisoning, people would first think about how the problem affects senior citizens...
Harrowing Survival of Oil Rig Accident Ends in Tragedy
Posted on August 07, 2009Montrose, TX: It was a horrendous oil rig accident that left 23-year-old Dennis Gurney enduring 40 painful surgeries over a 15-year period that still left him scarred for life. And even though he received a settlement from his employer that guaranteed he would never have to work again, life was not easy for Gurney.
Female Attorneys May Have the Edge in Yaz Suits
Posted on August 06, 2009Cincinnati, OH: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals is about to be slapped with a wave of lawsuits over its popular birth control pill. There are hundreds of reported cases of heart attack, stroke and blood clots in the heart and lungs among women who have being using Bayer's Yasmin or Yaz birth control pill...
Unum Group Posts Second Quarter Profits
Posted on August 06, 2009Chattanooga, TN: The only reference to the past misdeeds of Unum life insurance and problems policyholders have had with Unum long-term disability was made not by Unum Provident, but by a financial analyst on the occasion of Unum's Q2 earnings report.
Toronto Theatre Men Sentenced for Financial Fraud
Posted on August 06, 2009Toronto, ON: At one time they were the toast of Toronto and the International theatre scene. Yesterday, however, in the final act of a years-long financial fraud case the former front men of the long-defunct Livent theater production company were sentenced to a combined 13 years in prison for their roles in the demise of the company, and fraud worth a half-billion dollars Canadian.
Ground Beef Recalled Due to Salmonella Contamination
Posted on August 06, 2009Washington, DC: Over 400 tons of ground beef were recalled today when officials linked the meat to a salmonella foodborne illness outbreak. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Beef Packers, Inc...
FDA Strengthens Warnings on Darvon and Darvocet
Posted on August 06, 2009Rockville, MD: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has required the manufacturers of products containing propoxyphene (the generic name of Darvon) to strengthen the warnings about the risk of overdose with such products. The warning applies to pain medications, including Darvon and Darvocet.
Lost in Translation
Posted on August 05, 2009Washington, D.C. To a Spanish speaker, a notorio publico and a notorio may read and sound like the same thing, but in fact there is a world of difference. Desperate for help and short on cash, many immigrants confuse the two terms--they think they are getting a low-cost lawyer when in fact they have found their way into the office of a notary public...
Summer the Season of Reckoning for Cipro
Posted on August 05, 2009Washington, DC: This appears to be the summer of anniversaries for Cipro, an antibiotic that has long been a concern for Cipro side effects, including ruptured tendon. Concern over the Cipro antibiotic goes all the way back to 1996 when Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, first raised a red flag over the Cipro drug.
From Florida to Louisiana, Chinese Drywall Has No Borders
Posted on August 05, 2009New Orleans, LA: Although Florida appears to be the epicenter of Chinese drywall complaints, homeowners in other states, particularly Louisiana, are also reporting Chinese drywall problems. Two class action lawsuits-one in Florida and the other in Louisiana-have been filed naming Knauf Gips, KPT and a Chinese drywall manufacturer not connected to Knauf, Taishan Gypsum Co...
Helicopter Crash Kills Two
Posted on August 05, 2009Montreal, PQ: A helicopter crash, in Quebec, Canada, early Wednesday morning has killed a CTV news cameraman and the pilot.
"Chantix Like LSD from the 70s"
Posted on August 05, 2009Santa Maria, CA: Debra managed to quit smoking during the time she took Chantix and for a short time afterward but she wasn't prepared for the side effects. "I asked my doctor if Chantix would do anything weird like make me dance in the street naked but he assured me that nothing untoward would happen," says Debra, who didn't know of any Chantix warnings.
MRI Health Risks "Changed My Life"
Posted on August 05, 2009Honolulu, HI: Jaroslaw was in a car accident about 18 months ago and his doctor ordered a bone scan by MRI. "I was injected with the gadolinium contrast agent first," says Jaroslaw, "and shortly after that I started complaining about everything." Had Jarolsaw known about MRI Health Risks, he would have insisted on not having the gadolinium-based contract agent.
Enbrel Among Five Drugs to Get Cancer Warnings From FDA
Posted on August 05, 2009Washington, DC: The same day that LawyersandSettlements.com reported that a Copenhagen study raised the red flag on Enbrel side effects (etanercept) with regard to the potential for development of inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) in children suffering from juvenile arthritis, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Tuesday that a group of five drugs can increase the risk of cancer in children and adolescents.
Oh Yaz, There May be a Problem
Posted on August 05, 2009Carlsbad, CA: Large storm clouds are gathering over Bayer HealthCare as more and more women are reporting serious physical and emotional problems connected to the Yasmin birth control pill . "I have a 30-year-old client who had a severe stroke after three weeks of taking Yaz," says attorney Ron Laba...
Enbrel Use Linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Juvenile Arthritis Patients
Posted on August 04, 2009Copenhagen, DK: Those patients who take Enbrel for arthritis risk a collection of Enbrel side effects including, but not limited to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). An Enbrel infection of this type appears to present as a high possibility according to a recent study released last month in Copenhagen.
Add Z-pack to List of Drugs linked to SJS
Posted on August 04, 2009Franklin Square, NY: Mary Ellen was prescribed Zithromax (commonly referred to as the Z-pack) for strep throat and she followed instructions: take the medication until finished. Unfortunately for Mary Ellen and others who have suffered through Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) due to a severe allergic reaction to a drug, those instructions can be the worst thing to do.
Canada's Maple Leaf Foods Recalls Wieners for Fear of Listeria Bacterium
Posted on August 04, 2009Hamilton, ON: Canada's Maple Leaf Foods, which was hit with a major outbreak of Listeriosis last year that was linked to the deaths of as many as 22 people, this morning recalled a series of wiener products for the potential presence of deadly listeria bacteria--another foodborne illness.
If Looks Could Kill: Botox et al Get Updated FDA Warnings
Posted on August 04, 2009Washington, DC: It put a new spin on the phrase, 'looks that kill.' When it was first revealed that Botox injections had the potential to migrate away from the injection site and cause potentially life-threatening difficulties, it left users taking a long look in the mirror and asking, "Is it all worth it?"
Asbestos Mesothelioma - A Creeping Epidemic
Posted on August 04, 2009Buckeye, AZ: After 34 years in the Navy, Peter (name withheld), is facing a potentially serious health problem. He has asbestosis. Having worked as a boilermaker on Navy ships and around Asbestos insulation for many years, asbestos related health problems do not come as a surprise to him...
Lowe's Home Improvement "Should Improve its Overtime Policy"
Posted on August 03, 2009Denton, TX: When George was hired as a designer/sales "specialist" with Lowe's Home Improvement store, he agreed on making only $12 per hour to start. They neglected to tell George that he would be working 50-hour weeks, like most other "specialists" in the store...
Mold: It's Common. And it Can be Very Dangerous
Posted on August 03, 2009Atlanta, GA: It may surprise some that household mold is about as common as the dust bunny under the bed. However, no one would dispute the risk to health presented by toxic mold exposure and, more specifically, toxic black mold that can cause myriad health problems.
Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Hitting Turbulence
Posted on August 03, 2009A Continental Airlines jet flying from Rio de Janeiro to Houston made an emergency landing in Miami after experiencing severe turbulence. The turbulence was strong enough that at least 26 people were injured, four seriously. According to a report in the Miami Herald (August 3, 2009) 14 of the injured people were taken to local hospital while the rest of the injured were treated at the scene.
Warnings Sounded About Oral Sodium Phosphates
Posted on August 03, 2009Tacoma, WA: Patients who used an oral sodium phosphate (OSP) such as Visicol, OsmoPrep or Fleet Phospho-soda prior to a colonoscopy may be at an increased risk of kidney damage. A box warning from the FDA notes that when such products are used to prepare bowels for a colonoscopy patients face a risk of acute phosphate nephropathy...
SSRIs: Pregnant Women Stuck in a Difficult Decision
Posted on August 02, 2009Pittsburgh, PA: When it comes to making difficult decisions, this one might just rank right up there with the toughest: whether or not to take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) while pregnant. SSRIs are antidepressants, but they have been linked in some studies to serious birth defects...
Amazon Sued by Students Over Remote Deletion of Orwell's '1984'
Posted on August 02, 2009San Francisco, CA: A lawsuit launched by a Michigan teen against Amazon over the deletion of a book from his Kindle account reveals a remote deletion capability Amazon possesses that comes at the surprise of many.
More Lawsuits Looming Over Yasmin Yaz Birth Control
Posted on August 01, 2009Toledo, OH: Concern over the Yasmin birth control pill is mounting, together with the announcement earlier this week of six additional lawsuits against Yaz birth control manufacturer Bayer Health Care alleging various Yasmin pill side effects and misrepresentation.
Levaquin Career Changing
Posted on August 01, 2009Bluefield, West VA:: "Last fall I was renovating our house and got a sinus infection from the plaster so my doctor prescribed Levaquin, says Ann (name withheld). " I also had an ear infection and he gave me Cipro. Four weeks later he prescribed another z-pak of Levaquin that got rid of my sinus problem but for some reason my heel was hurting so much I could barely walk-I had to wear different shoes without any heels...
Tweet Lawsuit Has The World All a Twitter
Posted on August 01, 2009Chicago, IL: The latest frontier in litigation continues to be in the online world-and the latest outpost to be taken appears to be the seemingly innocent twitters and tweets that make up the increasingly embraced social networking phenomenon. To that end, a Chicago-based landlord has launched a Twitter lawsuit against a former tenant for a short message that, in its view, is defamatory.
Study Links Avandia to Liver Failure
Posted on August 01, 2009Seattle, WA: A new study has reportedly found a link between Avandia and liver failure. The study, conducted by researchers from Public Citizen, a public advocacy group, involved a review of adverse events reported to the US Food and Drug Administration and found 11 deaths due to liver toxicity between 1997 and 2006...
Woman Watching Mom Die After Possible Contaminated Heparin Exposure
Posted on July 31, 2009Frankfort, KY: Mary L's mother, Elizabeth, was given heparin a couple of years ago. Mary believes her mother may have been exposed to the heparin contamination that sickened many people through heparin syringes. Now, all Mary can do is sit and watch her mom's health decline.
Zicam "Causes Real Damage"
Posted on July 31, 2009New Canaan, CT: When it comes to treating a cold there are a variety of remedies available on the market. However, some of those remedies allegedly come with side effects that may be too serious for the condition they are treating. Reportedly, Zicam side effects include a loss of the sense of smell...
FDA Drops the Hammer on Misbranded Dietary Supplements
Posted on July 31, 2009Washington, DC: This past week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came down hard on potentially dangerous products designed for the body-building industry sold as dietary products, but that in reality are unapproved and misbranded drugs.
New Study Says Tanning Beds Akin to a Smoking Gun
Posted on July 30, 2009Lyon, FR: A new study published yesterday in Lancet Oncology links tanning beds and cancer and elevates the risk of artificial tanning and all ultraviolet rays to a level akin to smoking, with the potential of causing serious personal injury .
Playing the Trump Card in Commercial Contract Dispute
Posted on July 30, 2009Camden, NV: A commercial contract dispute has erupted between a New York City developer and the current owners of the Trump Marina Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. The former is attempting to get back a $17 million deposit that Coastal Marina LLC/Coastal Development LLC had paid when it agreed last year to buy the property that carries the famous Trump name.
Not Your Average Medical Malpractice Case says Attorney
Posted on July 30, 2009San Bernadino, CA: Untying this legal Gordian knot will take the skill of a seasoned litigator without a doubt. However, unlike Alexander the Great, famous for slicing through the complex legendary knot with a single swing of his sword, the undoing of Dr...
Chantix Guaranteed Panic Attacks
Posted on July 29, 2009Yuma, AZ: Carol's doctor advised her to quit smoking, especially because she was scheduled to have back surgery, and he prescribed Chantix, but after the surgery she started having panic attacks. And she never quit smoking.
Mesothelioma: Such a Nasty Way to Die
Posted on July 29, 2009Novato, CA: From initial diagnosis to death, on average, mesothelioma patients live just 18 months. It means that many of attorney James Nevin's clients do not live to see their cases resolved and their families are left to fight the battle against the companies and the mines that produced millions of tonnes of asbestos that made its way into factories and shipyards and eventually into the lungs of American workers.
FDA Issues Warning About Body Building Products
Posted on July 29, 2009Washington, DC: On the heels of the Hydroxycut recall comes another diet supplement scare. The FDA has now issued a warning concerning body building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances and the risk for serious adverse health effects.
Plane Crash: Birds on the Rise?
Posted on July 29, 2009Washington, DC: The miracle of the January plane crash into the Hudson River after a mid-air bird strike represents one happy ending in a series of similar events that have not ended well. And now the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has come out with recommendations to help prevent further plane crashes from bird strikes...
Patient Embarrassed by Involuntary Movement After Using Reglan
Posted on July 29, 2009Quitman, TX: Tardive dyskinesia is a condition many people may only learn about when they are diagnosed with it. Unfortunately, one of the Reglan side effects is tardive dyskinesia, a condition marked by involuntary, repetitive movement. The link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia is strong enough that the medication now carries a boxed warning, alerting patients to the risk of developing the condition, especially when Reglan is used for longer than 3 months.
Company Keeps Violating the California Labor Law
Posted on July 28, 2009Palm Springs, CA: David says he was hired as a resident manager for an apartment complex owned by Landmark Equity Management Inc. At the time he didn't know that this company had previously violated several California state laws, so it came as no surprise that David was treated unfairly and the company may have violated the California Labor Law.
Denture Cream: One Woman's Struggle is a Lesson for Young People
Posted on July 28, 2009Boston, MA: You may not see them as the young hockey player skates by. But they're there-in the mouth, protecting the teeth. Mouth guards. So what does a mouth guard have to do with denture cream and zinc toxicity? Everything. Because when a young person loses their teeth through a sports injury, they may be looking at dentures-and products like Super PoliGrip to keep those dentures in place.
Avelox Vicious Circle: The Cure Caused the Problem
Posted on July 27, 2009Nashville, TN:"I had surgery to cure a chronic sinus problem and I was given Avelox in the hospital," says Sean (not his real name pending a lawsuit). "About two weeks later I had ruptured both Achilles tendons; I'm no athlete so how could this happen?" Sean was shocked, to say the least, when he discovered that torn and ruptured tendons are linked to a class of drugs called fluroquinolones, including Avelox.
Hold the Lettuce on My Burger
Posted on July 27, 2009Salinas, CA:It seems that not even a week goes by without a potential foodborne illness outbreak. "Eat Your Greens" may not be such good advice: On July 21, 2009, a California company recalled its romaine lettuce after the Department of Agriculture found lettuce in Wisconsin that was contaminated with salmonella.
It May Be Banned, But PPH and Fen-Phen Still an Issue
Posted on July 27, 2009Washington, DC: The so-called Fen-phen diet combo was banned in 1997, but its presence is still being felt in herbal products still sold online. A cause of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), Fen-Phen side effects often emerge a decade after the diet aid is first consumed...
Shoulder Pain Pump: One lawsuit Down, But Not All Out
Posted on July 26, 2009Miami, FL: A shoulder pain pump lawsuit against Breg Inc. alleging irreversible shoulder injury was dismissed after an expert witness could not conclusively prove that a shoulder pain pump caused the postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis (PAGCL) suffered by the plaintiff following shoulder surgery.
New Study Enters MRI Health Risks Debate
Posted on July 26, 2009Washington, DC: Ever since the issue of MRI health risks began circulating and rising to the top of the public conscience, Gadolinium kidney failure has been hotly debated-especially with its link to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and increased risk for MRI and kidney failure when used in association with MRI for persons with compromised kidneys.
Immigration Green Card: Money Buys You the Front of the Line
Posted on July 26, 2009Milwaukee, WI: There are various ways of securing an immigration green card-a prerequisite to live and work in this country. However the citizenship green card can be expensive to obtain, and the wait for citizenship immigration can be a long one.
Oral Sodium Phosphates Linked to Kidney Damage
Posted on July 25, 2009St. Louis, MO: 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.
Sometimes With Consumer Fraud You Don't Know Where the Bodies are Buried
Posted on July 25, 2009Chicago, IL: It's a case of consumer fraud that allegedly involves not only a misappropriation of funds, but indecencies to human remains. Since alleged wrongdoings at an historic Chicago-area cemetery were revealed, the cry has gone out for better consumer protection inherent with the burial industry and now, these issues at Burr Oak Cemetery have gone beyond the consumer fraud act: the FBI is now involved.
SJS Caused Intense Pain and Loss of Vision
Posted on July 24, 2009Lafayette, LA: Ronald's rheumatologist prescribed him sulfasalazine to help control the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis but three weeks after he started the treatment, Ronald came down with flu-like symptoms, which led to full-blown Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)...
'Clumsy' in Kentucky: Employer Loses Worker Comp Case
Posted on July 24, 2009Frankfort, KY: A worker's right to workers compensation was recently tested in the Kentucky Supreme Court after an employee was initially denied workers comp benefits. In its ruling under workers compensation law, the Court ruled that according to statutes in the state of Kentucky a claimed fall in the workplace is assumed unless the employer can show substantial evidence to the contrary.
Lawsuits Filed Following Hydroxycut Recall
Posted on July 24, 2009Dallas, TX:Lawsuits are now being filed against Iovate Health Sciences Inc., alleging the company's Hydroxycut diet supplements are responsible for making consumers ill. Specifically, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a Hydroxycut recall after the dietary supplements were linked to 23 reports of serious health problems...
Commercial Helicopter Crash in Maryland, Four Die
Posted on July 24, 2009Smithsburg, MD: Four people are dead after a helicopter crash into a highway about 10:30pm Thursday night, according to emergency officials in reports carried this morning on CNN.com and the Associated Press (AP).
Patient "Thankful" She Was Told to Stop Taking Levaquin
Posted on July 23, 2009New Orleans, LA: When patients think about a drug's side effects, they probably often consider things like nausea, vomiting and dizziness-they probably do not think that a drug for a sinus infection could cause tendon ruptures. However, Levaquin side effects include both tendonitis (also called tendinitis) and tendon rupture, 2 very painful conditions...
King Soopers Recalls Beef Products Due to Salmonella Contamination
Posted on July 23, 2009Denver, CO: King Soopers, Inc., a Denver, CO. establishment, has recalled approximately 500,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to a foodborne illness outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
Lawsuit Threatened Against Financial Firm
Posted on July 23, 2009Albany, NY: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has threatened to file a lawsuit against Charles Schwab Corp. in an attempt to force the financial firm to pay off clients who were stuck with auction rate securities (ARS) after the ARS market failed, according to an article at latimes...
Investor Class Action Launched Over Zicam Side Effects
Posted on July 22, 2009Scottsdale, AZ: For investors in Matrixx, something allegedly stinks-and it has everything to do with Zicam smell loss and other Zicam side effects. Beyond the Zicam loss of smell that lay at the root of the June recall of the cold remedy, shareholders in Matrixx Initiatives Inc...
Attorney Says Time's Running Out for Filing Avandia Lawsuits
Posted on July 22, 2009St. Louis, MO: If you are a patient taking Avandia and have suffered a heart attack or stroke, your time for filing a lawsuit may be running out, according to attorney Jeff Lowe, with The Lowe Law Firm. Avandia is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus but studies have linked Avandia to an increased risk of adverse heart events.
California Labor Law and Federal Express Not on the Same Page
Posted on July 22, 2009Antioch, CA: Rene worked as a Federal Express courier for 20 years; he was fired May 1, 2009, "because I took my lunch break 5 minutes after I was supposed to," he says. Can FedEx fire an employee of 20 years because he was late for lunch? The California Labor Law clearly states that an employee must take a 30-minute meal period after five hours during an 8-hour work day, but Rene says FedEx has its own agenda.
Attorney Roger Drake: There is Still Time to Join a Heparin Lawsuit
Posted on July 22, 2009Los Angeles, CA: 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...
Attorney Discusses Reglan and Tardive Dyskinesia
Posted on July 21, 2009St. Louis, MO: Patients who have taken Reglan and suffered the reported Reglan side effects know how severe those side effects can be. On February 26, 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning against the long-term use of Reglan (more than three months), noting a link between Reglan and a debilitating illness called tardive dyskinesia.
Misclassified Managers Owed Overtime
Posted on July 21, 2009New York, NY: Tammy G., like thousands of managers throughout the US, has been misclassified and therefore not paid overtime -a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)."As a field and staffing manager I performed the same job as my staffing team, but was not paid hourly wages," says Tammy...
Asbestos Mesothelioma a Problem for Veterans
Posted on July 21, 2009Washington, DC: While the link between asbestos exposure and the onset of asbestos mesothelioma has long since been established, an ongoing concern surrounds the prevalence of asbestos in the military and the potential for mesothelioma cancer stemming from asbestos exposure.
No Flood of Praise for Sears in Negligence Suit
Posted on July 21, 2009Wheeling, WV: The purchasers of an appliance from Sears are suing the company, alleging negligence with regard to the installation of a new refrigerator, according to a June 8th account in the West Virginia Record. The issue is a flood that happened in their home, allegedly caused by either the appliance, or the method of installation.
Builder to Repair 400 Chinese Drywall Homes in Florida
Posted on July 20, 2009Miami, FL: As the Chinese drywall controversy continues to reverberate throughout various pockets of the country, Chinese drywall problems have forced a Miami-based homebuilder to remediate hundreds of Florida homes containing suspect China drywall.
Nestle Cookie Dough E. Coli Outbreak Now Claims 76 Victims Nationwide
Posted on July 20, 2009Washington, DC: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released new data from the Nestle Toll House cookie dough foodborne illness outbreak. As of July 10, the CDC reports that 76 persons from 31 states have been infected with the E. coli 0157:H7outbreak strain...
Debate Rages Over Potential for SSRI Birth Defects vs. Health of Mom
Posted on July 20, 2009Washington, DC: The debate over SSRI birth defects continues, despite many studies. It's not that there is grave concern with regard to potential birth defects present in babies born from mothers taking an ssri antidepressant. Rather, the debate centers on what's the best road to take?
Attorney Williamson Wants to Put a Stop to Red Light Fines
Posted on July 19, 2009Spokane, WA: Red light cameras have been a major source of revenue for cities across the Washington state since they were first introduced four years ago. Drivers who zip through red lights at camera equipped intersections have routinely paid $124 for their infraction, yielding cities like Seattle more than a million dollars a year in fines.
PPH and Fen-Phen Victim Regrets Settlement
Posted on July 19, 2009Oakhurst, TX: Joyce was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation and was part of the PPH Fen-Phen class action settlement that only covered claims involving heart valve damage. But she was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) and may soon seek legal help...
Jury Awards $11 Million in Helicopter Crash
Posted on July 19, 2009Des Moines, IA: Although they are often not the focus of as many news headlines as other air traffic accidents, helicopter crashes do happen, and they can be fatal. People who have survived helicopter crashes may suffer serious injuries, including back and neck injuries...
"Back-to-Work" Policy: Another Way Unum Doesn't Pay
Posted on July 18, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Steve, a Deputy Sheriff, was injured on the job and he spent 90 days recovering from surgery before returning to work. At that time he filed for long term disability benefits as instructed by his health care insurance provider-Unum, also know as First Unum or Unum Provident.
Shoulder Pain Pump Patient: Pain is "Absolutely Terrible"
Posted on July 18, 2009Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Tyler S. is trying to determine whether or not the use of the shoulder pain pump following his shoulder surgery might have caused his current pain. Tyler (not his real name) says he is dealing with constant pain and says his shoulder problems have had a serious impact on his life.
Zimmer Hip Implants
Posted on July 17, 2009Houston, TX: If you had a Zimmer hip implant recently and the pain that was supposed to disappear is still there, you may want to do some investigating. Attorney Adam Pulaski, from the firm of Pulaski Middleman, has recently filed about a dozen complaints on behalf of people who have Zimmer Durom Cup implants.
Could Asbestos Mesothelioma Be in Their Future?
Posted on July 17, 2009Baton Rouge, LA: The trick to preventing Asbestos mesothelioma is not to be exposed to something that causes mesothelioma cancer in the first place. It is only recently that the link between mesothelioma and cancer has risen to the top of the public conscience...
FDA Continues to Advocate Caution Over Chantix
Posted on July 17, 2009Washington, DC: The last thing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants is to advocate that people stop taking Chantix. Rather, in the face of risk for Chantix suicide and various other Chantix side effects the various FDA warnings since 2007 is an effort to see an increase in patient monitoring...
Excessive Fees in Employee Retirement Plans
Posted on July 17, 2009Wichita, KS: With much of the media focused on financial scams and lawsuits involving large sums of money, it might surprise people to know that even small employee stock options plans can be hit with lawsuits. The truth is that employee savings plans and employee stock plans are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, meaning that if the plan's managers do not act in the best interests of plan participants, then plan participants may have cause to file a lawsuit.
Levaquin: "What Pharmaceutical Companies Get Away With is Criminal"
Posted on July 16, 2009New York, NY: Strong words indeed, but articulated by a Levaquin user. While the Levaquin antibiotic has proven to be an effective drug for the treatment of infection, Levaquin medicine-as do virtually all drugs-has a darker side that leaves many users suffering from adverse reactions that have little to do with the reasons they took Levaquin in the first place...
Hydroxycut User: "My Life is Shortened"
Posted on July 16, 2009Boyceville, WI: Hydroxycut supplements were recalled after the FDA received reports linking the diet supplements to liver damage and at least 1 death. Now, people like Jodi M. are left to wonder whether their liver damage may be related to the use of the diet supplements...
"Cipro Ruined Our Lives," says Victim's Wife
Posted on July 16, 2009Bastrop, LA: "I am also a victim of Cipro," says Connie, "because I am tortured from not being able to help Mike, my husband." And to make matters worse, Mike can't sue Bayer, the manufacturer, because the state of Louisiana has a two-year statute of limitations...
Patient Suffers Possible Reglan Side Effects
Posted on July 16, 2009Parker, CO: Joyce P. is not positive she was given a prescription for Reglan, and is therefore not sure if she is suffering from Reglan side effects. However, she is looking into the matter because she has suffered symptoms similar to those linked to Reglan and tardive dyskinesia after being diagnosed with a disease commonly treated with Reglan.
Yet Another Medication Carries SJS Risk
Posted on July 15, 2009Washington, DC: A new medication designed to improve wakefulness that was introduced to the US market last month already has a bolded warning for SJS, among other potentially serious SJS side effects. Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a rare, but potentially dangerous condition characterized by skin lesions akin to serious burns.
Commercial Airliner Crashes in Iran, 168 Feared Dead
Posted on July 15, 2009Tehran: A Russian-built commercial airliner reported to be carrying 168 passengers and crew crashed early this morning in Iran about 90 miles northwest of the capital of Tehran. Early reports indicate Caspian Air Flight 7908 was en route to Yerevan, Armenia and was just 16 minutes into its flight from Tehran when the plane crash occurred at 11:33am this morning Tehran time.
Nestle Cookie Dough E. Coli Foodborne Illness Update
Posted on July 15, 2009Health officials continue to investigate the E. coli O157:H7 foodborne illness outbreak attributed to Nestle Toll House cookie dough . Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Nestle's US plant refused to give federal inspectors access to pest-control records, environmental-testing programs and other information…
Asbestos Exposure in the Naval Shipyards
Posted on July 14, 2009Brookfield WI: Mark [not his real name] was only in the Navy for approximately 2 years, but that may have been long enough to generate breathing problems that he suffers to this day. He worked in the Naval shipyards, and was constantly exposed to asbestos...
Mother Angry About Loss of Sense of Smell After Zicam Use
Posted on July 14, 2009Highlands Ranch, CO: The sense of smell is something that people might take for granted, until they lose it. Jenny R. believes she suffered from Zicam side effects which include a loss of the sense of smell. Jenny says that since she suffered the reported Zicam smell loss, she has become concerned about the risks to her family, because she is unable to smell things that would alert her to danger.
MRI Health Risks: "I would Hate to be Entombed"
Posted on July 14, 2009Oakland, CA: "I had a second MRI about a year ago because my doctor thought I was having kidney failure," says James, "and I was injected with contrast dye containing gadolinium." James says he had the same procedure 5 years previously without any MRI health risks , but this last time he developed potential side effects for NSF/NFD...
California Labor Law: "At Will" Employee at a Loss
Posted on July 14, 2009Downey, CA: If you are employed "at will" as most employees in California are, you can be fired for almost any reason such as bad attitude, chronic lateness, failing to follow company policy, or simply because your employer doesn't like you-as long as it isn't based on discrimination...
JBS Beef Recall Expanded - Now 23 E. coli Victims in 9 States
Posted on July 13, 2009Washington, DC: On June 24, 2009, JBS Swift Beef Company recalled 41,280 pounds of assorted pieces of beef (beef primal products) because of potential contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The CDC, FDA, and state health departments are continuing their investigation of a multi-state foodborne illness outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 that has sickened 23 persons in 9 states.
Federal OSP Lawsuits Consolidated to Northern Ohio
Posted on July 13, 2009Lynchburg, VA: While a multidistrict order has been issued for 38 oral sodium phosphate (OSP) lawsuits for centralization to Northern Ohio, the manufacturer of phospho soda that has been linked to osp kidney damage in the context of colonoscopy maintains its product is safe.
Plaintiff Awarded $3 Million-Plus in Bad Faith Insurance Claim
Posted on July 13, 2009Louisville, KY: It's a case of bad faith insurance as remarkable as the deed that triggered the claim in the first place. Imagine the reaction of the insurance bad faith attorney upon learning that a doctor performed a procedure he was not trained to do...
Allegedly Defective Baby Floats Recalled for Drowning Risk
Posted on July 13, 2009Washington, DC: A baby float that was recalled in the interests of consumer protection and product liability has been cited for 31 incidents where infants have suddenly fallen into, or under the water. So far there have been no deaths or injuries reported from the defective products ...
New Jersey-based Levaquin Lawsuits May Be Consolidated
Posted on July 13, 2009Trenton, NJ: The various Levaquin antibiotic lawsuits that have been filed in the state of New Jersey due to Levaquin side effects may be consolidated before a single judge, according to a recent posting on AboutLawsuits.com. The alleged problems associated with Levaquin medicine and the resulting adverse affects are prompting many plaintiffs towards legal action.
Former Mechanic Awarded $10 Million in Medical Malpractice Case
Posted on July 12, 2009Houston, TX: A man who entered hospital for a heart operation and came out without his fingers, toes and minus his left leg has been awarded $10 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Under medical malpractice law, plaintiffs can pursue damages if medical malpractice negligence can be alleged.
Ohio Shippers Seek Class Action Status in Overtime Pay Lawsuit
Posted on July 12, 2009Columbus, OH: A class-action lawsuit alleging failure to compensate workers with overtime pay has been filed in Columbus, Ohio against a major international shipper. The action alleges a dropping of the ball where it comes to overtime laws and overtime rules...
Paxil Warnings For Pregnant Women
Posted on July 12, 2009South Beach, FL: Women who believe their babies were affected by Paxil side effects involving serious birth defects are expressing concern that the antidepressant they took may have caused their child's health problems. Their concerns may be based on warnings released by both the Food and Drug Administration and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about possible Paxil birth defects...
Plane Crash Lawsuit Settled for $4.5 Million
Posted on July 11, 2009Daytona Beach, FL: The children of a man who died in a plane crash will receive $4.5 million after a judge approved the settlement. The man, who was 29 years old when the plane crash occurred, was 1 of 4 people who died in the accident. Also killed were the man's mother, his sister and her husband, who was the plane's pilot.
Ohio Drivers Miffed by Sale of Private Info
Posted on July 11, 2009Cincinnati, OH: The Ohio Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Motor Vehicles has been hit with a potentially costly class action lawsuit alleging that two senior employees contravened federal privacy laws when they authorized the sale of information in the state's databanks...
Man Concerned About Use of Denture Cream
Posted on July 11, 2009Las, Vegas, NV: Michael F. says he has been using Fixodent denture adhesive ever since he first got his dentures. Although he did not notice problems right away, he says he has noticed possible signs of reported Fixodent denture cream side effects in the past few months...
Firefighters Sue New Haven Over Tossing of Test Results
Posted on July 11, 2009Washington, DC: Employment discrimination exists in many forms and some employment discrimination is surprising. However just when you think you have heard it all, an employee racial discrimination case comes along that tests levels of tolerance on both sides.
Chantix Black Box Warning Too Late for Some
Posted on July 11, 2009Okalona, MS : On July 1, 2009 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Boxed Warning on the prescribing information for the smoking cessation drug Chantix (varenicline). Sadly, the warning came too late for Dean Perry's son, Hansel, who took his own life on September 29, 2008...
Shoulder Replacement Surgery Follows Use of the Shoulder Pain Pump for Patient
Posted on July 10, 2009Los Angeles, CA: Sarah P. has had a shoulder pain pump used in 2 separate shoulder surgeries. Since the use of the pain pump, she has endured a third shoulder surgery-this one to replace her shoulder. Despite the shoulder replacement surgery, Sarah (not her real name) still suffers from shoulder pain, has been diagnosed with a serious shoulder condition and may face a lifetime of dealing with her shoulder injury.
Texas Billionaire Roped in Mexican Clients
Posted on July 10, 2009San Antonio, TX: Hundreds of people in Mexico and Latin America are suing UK insurance broker Willis Group International, alleging it knowingly provided them with false information about the stability of Stanford Financial Bank (SFI). According to the documents filed on behalf of investors from Mexico and Latin America, the UK insurance company engaged with Stanford Financial to provide potential customers with written statements promoting the bank as safe, sound, and fully insured.
Is Avandia Worth the Risk?
Posted on July 10, 2009Washington, DC: The alleged relationship between Avandia and heart attack remains a concern for Type 2 diabetes patients who, while pleased with Avandia's capacity for controlling their diabetes symptoms are nonetheless worried about various side effects associated with Avandia.
Attorney Gives Levaquin Lawsuit Advice
Posted on July 10, 2009Kansas City, KS: Attorney Michael Hodges anticipates many Levaquin lawsuits now that the word is out regarding Levaquin and its association with adverse side effects, namely tendon tears and ruptures. "I think the vast majority of users have no idea that their injuries were caused by an antibiotic," says Hodges," but the fact that there is a black box warning indicates the drug manufacturer knew of these problems and did nothing about it...
PPH and Fen-Phen Lawsuits: Round Two
Posted on July 09, 2009Fort Myers, FL: Joe D. took Fen-phen in the mid-90s and chose to opt out of American Home Products $3.75 billion class action settlement in 1999-thus allowing him to pursue a lawsuit later. Ten years after taking the diet drugs, Joe has been diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) and says that in retrospect, it's a good thing he didn't join the class action...
New Auto Defect Report Spells Gloom for Owners of GM and Chrysler Vehicles
Posted on July 09, 2009Rehoboth, MA: The new era emerging in the automotive industry will have an impact on issues surrounding auto defects and those encumbered with a defective car. Thanks to a loophole built into the US auto industry rescue package, liability for the defective auto no longer appears to be a worry for the newly-reborn General Motors and Chrysler.
Rite Aid Faced Previous Overtime Lawsuit
Posted on July 09, 2009Washington, DC: Assistant store managers say they are not being properly paid Rite Aid overtime for work they do over 40 hours a week. And this is not the first time Rite Aid pharmacy stores have faced allegations that they did not properly pay employees for overtime hours...
Hydroxycut Patient Says Supplements Changed Her Life
Posted on July 09, 2009Vancouver, BC: Jo C. says she has been taking Hydroxycut supplements on and off for approximately 10 years. After she started taking Hydroxycut Max, about 2 years ago, Jo says her health went downhill. However, she did not link her health problems to the Hydroxycut diet supplements until the supplements were recalled.
Just Go Ahead and Try to Sue the Coast Guard
Posted on July 08, 2009Baltimore, MD: What happens if the Coast Guard miscalculates a critical piece of safety information and that miscalculation is implicated in an accident that resulted in the death of five people? According to a June 2009 decision by the Federal Court, the Coast Guard is immune from any financial liability...
Chinese Drywall Assessment Determined "High Risk"
Posted on July 08, 2009North Port FL: "My fiancé and I found a house to rent, lease or sell on craigslist," says Carolyn, "and the owner agreed on $700 per month with a $5,000 deposit so we could buy the house. But after only one month we found so many things wrong, because of Chinese drywall"...
What Role Did Antiquated FDA Computers Play in Heparin Deaths?
Posted on July 08, 2009Washington, DC: The roots of the heparin contamination which allegedly contributed to the deaths of up to 246 people since 2007 run a little deeper than the importation of tainted heparin from China and the availability of tainted heparin syringes. According to the Drug Industry Daily (DID) newsletter, part of the blame with regard to the heparin injection debacle lay with an antiquated IT structure residing at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Avelox and Cipro "Did Me In"
Posted on July 08, 2009Whitehall, PA: Bob Grozier lost a 20-year career as a computer programmer and became disabled shortly after taking the fluoroquinolones Avelox and Cipro. Grozier says that even his doctor took Avelox and had adverse side effects similar to his…
Advocate for Levaquin Adverse Events
Posted on July 07, 2009Hummelstown, PA: John Fratti has been working on Levaquin advocacy and awareness for the last few years. "After taking Levaquin, I have suffered from Levaquin-induced central nervous system damage,and damage to my nerves and tendons," says Fratti.
California Labor Law Turns Up the Heat on California Farm Labor Contractors
Posted on July 07, 2009San Francisco, CA: The tenets of California labor laws are designed to protect the health of workers in a number of different sectors. Thus, the recent sanctions under California State labor law against the operator of a farming enterprise following accusations of violations under California labor employment law.
Zicam Patient Diagnosed with Nerve Damage
Posted on July 07, 2009Boston, MA: Pam O. used Zicam twice before she experienced reported Zicam side effects. She is now worried that she will never fully recover from the Zicam smell loss, and will suffer without a sense of smell or taste for the rest of her life.
Airlines Fined for Antitrust, US Laws Remain Tough
Posted on July 06, 2009Washington, DC: An alleged violation of antitrust laws by a major international airline is testament to the need for an update to the Antitrust Act and antitrust policy. According to the June 27th edition of the Vancouver Sun, Air France, KLM and Martinair were fined a total of $10 million for communicating with competitors with regard to the amount and the timing of fuel surcharges on air cargo exported from Canada.
Reglan Study Says Metoclopramide Safe for Fetus, But for Mother?
Posted on July 06, 2009Washington, DC: A drug that is prescribed for nausea and other gastro-intestinal maladies carries of host of adverse reactions. A black box warning for Reglan tardive dyskinesia , as well as other Reglan side effects, should be sufficient for patients to consider whether, or not treatment with Reglan is a good idea...
Nestle Cookie Dough E. coli Outbreak Grows - CDC Now Reporting 72 ill in 30 states
Posted on July 06, 2009Washington, DC: The US Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has announced updated statistics for the current E. coli outbreak attributed to Nestle Toll House cookie dough. As of Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 72 persons infected with foodborne illness, in this case a strain of E...
Dog Bites Peak in Summer Months
Posted on July 05, 2009Huntsville, AL: As we head into the most prolific season for potential dog bite injury, there are a number of issues to be aware of with regard not only to dog bite law, but also of health issues that are becoming an increasing concern as the result of (CASE PAGE LINK dog_bites)...
Was Darkness, or Distraction the Cause of Disney World Monorail Crash?
Posted on July 05, 2009Orlando, FL: Disney World is a land of fantasy and magic, so it becomes even more devastating when an accident happens at the vaulted theme park. And it happened in the wee hours of this morning, when a moving monorail train collided with the back of a stationary train, killing the driver and injuring another in a train crash.
Your Swimming Pool Filter is a Bomb Warns California Attorney
Posted on July 04, 2009San Francisco, CA: Attorney Kevin Lancaster's office gets calls from people injured in pool filter explosions with an alarming frequency. "I've had four calls this morning about four different pool filter explosions," says Lancaster. The calls don't really surprise Lancaster...
Veterans and Asbestos Mesothelioma - Is There Risk?
Posted on July 04, 2009Nashville, TN: Chip has led an interesting life; part of it was spent in the Navy. Between 1986 and 1990 he served as an Interior Communications Petty Officer 3rd class on board the USS Peleliu LHA-5. As part of his job he performed ship's maintenance, which involved exposure to asbestos.
SJS Advil-Ibuprofen: "I Got Out Alive"
Posted on July 04, 2009Richmond, BC: Bonnie says her struggle with SJS Advil-Ibuprofen stemmed from a car accident in 2001. She was prescribed Percocet for some time but got addicted to it so her doctor suggested Advil-Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) symptoms began almost overnight.
FDA Says Gadolinium Used Off-Label in Some MRA Procedures
Posted on July 03, 2009Evansville, IN: Much has been written about MRI health risks, specifically MRI kidney failure. The usual suspect here is the gadolinium contrasting agent that is often used in concert with MRI. Gadolinium is considered safe if it can be quickly eradicated from the body...
Attorney Wants Phantom Fees Returned to Madoff Survivors
Posted on July 03, 2009Miami, FL: Lawyers at Dimond, Kaplan & Rothstein have seen a lot of hurt investors over the years-many of them victims of ponzi schemes less elaborate than the one Bernie Madoff ran, but ponzi schemes all the same. "The moral compass of people who commit those kinds of crimes is something that my partners and I will never understand," says Jeffrey Kaplan...
Attorney Mantese on Groundbreaking Autism Case
Posted on July 03, 2009Troy MI: Attorney Gerard Mantese appears to have struck a very substantial blow to bad faith health insurance companies that routinely deny claims for treatment of autistic children. In a groundbreaking case, Mantese forced Blue Cross Blue Shield to concede that it was wrong to categorize behavioral therapy for autistic children as experimental treatment and use that argument to deny claims.
Illinois Freight Train Derailment Potential Threat to the Environment
Posted on July 03, 2009Rockford, IL: Compared with other laws and statutes that have been around since the dawn of time, environmental law is a relative newcomer and arrived in step with recent revelations that not protecting the environment is, in the end not very good for you...
Overtime Lawsuit Worth $3.4 Million
Posted on July 02, 2009Pelham Manor, NY: Employees who have not been given adequate overtime pay can take heart. A recent lawsuit, alleging, among other things, that a carwash chain violated overtime laws, has been settled for $3.4 million.
Denture Creams Linked to Health Problems
Posted on July 02, 2009Wilmington, NC: People who regularly use denture cream, including Fixodent, PoliGrip and Super PoliGrip adhesives might be surprised to learn that the products have been linked to a risk of health problems including neurological issues. In fact, a study published in the journal Neurology, in 2008, has found a link between overuse of denture creams and a risk of zinc toxicity...
There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way and the Army Way
Posted on July 02, 2009Washington, D.C. If Attorney and former Navy lawyer Dean Swartz gets what he wants for his client Colonel Adele Connell, Swartz will have succeeded in shutting down a 59-year-old law known as the Feres Doctrine that makes it almost impossible for military personnel to sue for medical malpractice ...
Hydroxycut Class Action the 'Next Big One'
Posted on July 02, 2009San Francisco, CA: The recall of various versions of Hydroxycut supplements has evolved into the launching of a class-action lawsuit, together with a pow-wow scheduled for San Francisco later this month to discuss and update potential plaintiffs and legal eagles regarding Hydroxycut diet supplements and their adverse health effects...
California Importer Hit with $655,000 Fine in Defective Products Case
Posted on July 01, 2009Washington, DC: While there have been no injuries cited, the potential for personal injury from a collection of defective products sold by OKK Trading of Commerce, California might have been enormous. This month the company agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $665,000 for failure to comply with the long-standing federal ban on lead paint in toys, together with violations of other federal child safety standards...
Car Accident Victim Settles for $125,000 in Colorado
Posted on July 01, 2009Boulder, CO: A car accident that allegedly left a college student with permanent brain injuries has been settled after the employer of a deputy sheriff whose squad car allegedly crashed into the student paid out $125,000.
Heparin 's Recall--One Year On
Posted on July 01, 2009Toledo, OH: It has been over a year since the massive Heparin recall was announced in the wake of numerous deaths and reports of serious illness following exposure to Heparin syringes. In that year, patients have learned a lot about Heparin contamination and the factors that can result in their being exposed to contaminated medications.
14-Year Old Girl Survives Indian Ocean Crash
Posted on June 30, 2009Paris, FR: Earlier reports of a 5-year-old boy surviving the plane crash involving an Airbus A310-300 en route from Yemen to the African Island nation of Comoros, have been corrected. Officials now report that the survivor is a 14-year-old girl, Bahia Bariki...
Pharmaceutical Malpractice A Growing Problem says Attorney
Posted on June 30, 2009Cumming, GA: Attorney Donald Singleton was recently contacted by a woman who believes she was the victim of pharmaceutical malpractice. The potent prescription painkillers she got from her pharmacist for her chronic pain condition turned out to be a heavy dose of anti-inflammatory steroid...
Is Herbal Fen-Phen Just as Bad as the Banned Fen-Phen?
Posted on June 30, 2009Washington, DC: Fen-phen may have disappeared from store shelves back in 1997, but it hasn't disappeared entirely. Neither has PPH and Fen-phen-and Fen-phen side effects that cause primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). The adverse health issue has fostered a number of PPH class action lawsuits.
Train Explosion in Italy Kills 12
Posted on June 30, 2009Pisa, Italy: A gas explosion on a freight train in western Italy late Monday has claimed the life of a child and at least 11 others, officials close to the scene have said in a report carried today by CNN. The number of injured in what has been described as a horrific train crash has risen to 36, with 16 in critical condition.
What Caused 7-Year-Old Parking Garage in Atlanta to Collapse?
Posted on June 30, 2009Atlanta, GA: A multi-level parking garage no more than 7 years old has collapsed in Atlanta, destroying numerous vehicles. So far, officials on the scene combing through the debris have not found any bodies or survivors. There have been no reports of missing persons thus far in the building collapse, according to reports from the Associated Press (AP).
Boy, 5, Sole Survivor of Yemenia Airways Crash
Posted on June 30, 2009Paris, FR: A plane crash early this morning of a Yeminia Airways flight from the Yemeni capital of Sana to Moroni, situated on the main island of Grand Comore, may have claimed as many as 152 lives. According to a report this morning in the New York Times of the 142 passengers and 11 crewmembers, the only known survivor is a five-year-old boy...
Rite Aid Faces Allegations of Employee Mistreatment
Posted on June 30, 2009New York, NY: A Rite Aid annual shareholder meeting became the site of a worker's rally, denouncing forced Rite Aid overtime and other practices employees say are "abusive, disrespectful and illegal" according to a June 26 article by the American Federation of Labor (AFL)...
Chantix is a "Loaded Gun"
Posted on June 30, 2009Lansing, MI: "I went to the doctor for a chest cold and I told him I wanted to quit smoking, obviously cigarettes were making me worse," says Diane (not her real name). "He said I could not get a prescription for Chantix because I suffer from bi-polar disease...
JBS Swift Beef Recall Expanded Over E. coli Concerns
Posted on June 29, 2009Greeley, CO: It might have been Sunday, but a weekend never appears to deter the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from pulling the trigger on the recall revolver-especially when it comes to bad beef. And a recall announced last week of beef potentially contaminated with E...
Levaquin Patient: "I Feel Like I'm Dying"
Posted on June 29, 2009Silsbee, TX: Alice N. says she was given the Levaquin antibiotic two separate times in a few months. Although she is not certain, she believes she has suffered from Levaquin side effects, which include tendonitis. Alice says that since she took the Levaquin medicine for the second time, she has had difficulty walking because of the pain in her legs.
California Caps Stifle Med Mal Award
Posted on June 29, 2009Irvine, CA: You might say that a young California woman who went to court seeking damages as a result of a hip surgery that went terribly wrong, won the battle but lost the war. Her attorney, Sean M. Burke, an experienced personal injury lawyer who has fought many a battle on behalf of people injured through medical malpractice, presented the facts of case, the jury understood and awarded Erica Rockabrand $2...
Is Foodborne Illness Increasing?
Posted on June 29, 2009Washington, DC: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), rates of foodborne illnesses have been holding steady for five years and have even been declining from the mid-1990s until the beginning of this decade, due mainly to improvements in the meat and poultry industry...
Accident Not Her Fault, Plaintiff Forced to File Bad Faith Insurance Claim
Posted on June 29, 2009St. Louis, MO: The proof will come out not in the pudding but in the lawsuit. However, allegations stemming from a bad faith insurance lawsuit and the accompanying bad faith insurance claim filed by a Missouri woman gives one pause to wonder why anyone ever bothers with insurance...
Hair Relaxer Anything But in Personal Injury Lawsuit
Posted on June 28, 2009St. Louis, MO: Unless you happen to be a personal injury attorney, involvement in personal injury law usually comes as the result of personal injury. Such is the case for a woman in Missouri who alleges that a hair relaxer did a lot more than simply relax her hair.
Researcher Reprimanded for Ties to GlaxoSmithKline
Posted on June 28, 2009Atlanta, GA: While pregnant women have to sift through the conflicting evidence regarding Paxil birth defects to determine whether or not the risk of reported Paxil side effects outweighs the benefits, news has emerged that at least 1 researcher had ties to GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Paxil, while he was conducting research about the drug...
California Labor Law: Recourse for At-WillTermination?
Posted on June 27, 2009San Bernadino, CA: Jill is one of countless people who has been terminated without cause, and some employers take advantage of the California Labor Law. The state of California labor code presumes that employees are "at will", which means that employees working under an employment contract can only be terminated for reasons in their contract.
Public Citizen Wants Yasmin Birth Control Banned
Posted on June 27, 2009Washington, DC: A birth control pill that is classed as a third-generation contraceptive is the cause of concern for health advocates concerned with the potential for the Yasmin pill to foster blood clots. Yasmin, manufactured by Organon and Ortho-McNeil and also sold as a generic, has been placed on a 'do not use' list published by Public Citizen, who petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007 to ban Yaz birth control.
Pain Pumps May Have Negative Effect on Other Joints
Posted on June 27, 2009Columbus, OH Patients who undergo surgery often worry about the complications of the surgery itself, but they probably do not worry too much about what effects their pain reliever might have. Patients who were given a shoulder pain pump to use following surgery are discovering that they might be at an increased risk of a serious shoulder injury...
Allegations About Zicam Apparently Not New
Posted on June 27, 2009Washington,DC: People who have suffered Zicam side effects, specifically a loss of sense of smell [anosmia], are contacting attorneys to discuss whether they are eligible to join a lawsuit against the maker of the cold remedy products. Gary E. Mason, founding partner of The Mason Law Firm, LLP, says his firm has been contacted by clients across the US who say they have lost their sense of smell after using Zicam.
When Employers Fail, ERISA Laws Protect Employee Benefit Plans
Posted on June 26, 2009San Francisco, CA: When it comes to providing employee stock options, there are rules that employers must follow to ensure the stock options are run to the benefit of employees who invest in stock option plans. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) mandates that fiduciaries, that is people who manage stock option and other benefit plans, follow certain guidelines so that employees can earn the most from their stock option plans.
Did Prescription Drugs Hasten Michael Jackson's Demise?
Posted on June 26, 2009Los Angeles, CA: While the world comes to grips with the unexpected passing of pop icon Michael Jackson yesterday, The Kansas City Star carried a Life & Style report this morning that claims the King of Pop was taking a cocktail of up to seven prescription drugs in the months before his death.
Avelox Yet Another Drug Linked to Tendonitis
Posted on June 26, 2009Washington, DC: Yet another antibiotic that has been linked to the onset of tendon rupture has everybody talking, including a doctor who earns part of his living advising society at large with regard to health and medicines such as Avelox.
Fixodent and Zinc Poisoning Lawsuits
Posted on June 25, 2009Miami, FL: A number of lawsuits pertaining to Fixodent denture cream due to the alleged effects of zinc toxicity and Fixodent zinc poisoning have--as expected--been consolidated after so many Fixodent denture cream customers complained of problems, or had been taken ill.
Air France Plane Crash Still a Mystery, But Clues Remain
Posted on June 25, 2009Paris, FR: The Air France plane crash that took more than 200 lives and continues to mystify investigators sorting through bodies and debris from the airplane crash June 1st is no closer to being resolved. The black box has not been found. Investigations into plane crashes are complex, and can take years.
Interview with Cipro and Avelox Attorney Mike Stratton
Posted on June 25, 2009New Haven, CT: "Cipro (Ciprofloxacin) and Avelox are 'last resort' antibiotics to kill off very dangerous forms of bacteria but they have been marketed and advertised way beyond what is appropriate for patients' conditions," says Attorney Mike Stratton of Stratton Faxon...
Attorney Weighs in on Reglan Investigation
Posted on June 25, 2009Austin, TX: If you thought the number of people who reported suffering Reglan side effects was small, you might have to think again. In fact, the number of people reporting Reglan adverse events, including tardive dyskinesia, has gone up drastically, according to Kathleen K...
MRI Health Risks: Research, Recent Cases and Lawsuits
Posted on June 24, 2009Carlsbad, NM: Carlsbad Open MRI lab is putting into place safety checks regarding Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) procedures that require the use of injecting contrast agents, about a year after warnings about MRI health risks, namely gadolinium kidney failure associated with the dye.
For the RECORD, Many Say Avandia Study is Flawed
Posted on June 24, 2009New Orleans, LA: The debate rages over Avandia ,in spite of a recent study that suggests Avandia poses no greater risk and is equally as safe as other Type 2 diabetes drugs with regard to risk for cardiovascular death and stroke. The study, dubbed RECORD, was released in its entirety at a conference of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) earlier this month-although preliminary findings were released prior to 2009.
Little Oversight, Botched Procedures Alleged at Philadelphia VA
Posted on June 24, 2009Philadelphia, PA: Reverend. Ricardo Flippin is a 21-year veteran of the Air Force. So it's hardly surprising that when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 he chose to have his treatment carried out at the VA hospital in Philadelphia, which has since been linked to allegedly medical malpractice --botched procedures in its cancer unit...
It Doesn't Pay to be Honest with Unum
Posted on June 24, 2009Andalusia, AL: " Had I known that Unum [also known as Unum Provident] long term disability benefits was going to be a loan, I would have gone to a bank," says Elaine. "My interpretation of disability insurance is this: when you become disabled, insurance pays your benefits...
DC Death Train Toll Climbs to Nine
Posted on June 23, 2009Washington, DC: The death toll in what has been described as the worst commuter train crash in the history of Washington, DC escalated to nine overnight with the discovery of five more bodies, according to this morning's edition of the New York Times.
Hydroxycut: Don't Assume Natural Means Safe
Posted on June 23, 2009Philadelphia, PA: If there is one thing that users of Hydroxycut supplements are learning, it is that "natural" does not necessarily equal "safe." This much was made clear after a recall of Hydroxycut diet supplements, announced after the supplements were linked to a risk of liver damage...
DC Train Crash - Death Toll Climbs to Nine
Posted on June 23, 2009Washington, DC: As rescue workers and fire crews struggle to dismantle the wreckage from what is being called the worst train crash in DC's history, the official number of fatalities continues to climb, with nine people now confirmed dead. More than 70 people have been hospitalized with injuries.
Nestle Cookie Dough Outbreak Expands - Now 70 Confirmed Illnesses
Posted on June 23, 2009The Center for Disease Control (CDC) just released updated Nestle Toll House cookie dough E. coli O157: H7 outbreak numbers: There are now 70 confirmed cases of foodborne illness in 30 states, with 25 persons being hospitalized and 7 experiencing complications from hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Could Stock Broker Arbitration Be Nearing an End?
Posted on June 23, 2009Tempe, AZ: For many years now, stock broker arbitration has been the only means of settling a dispute with a stock broker or a brokerage firm. Regardless of whether the allegation was stock broker fraud, mismanagement of funds or other unethical dealings, investors had to turn to stock broker arbitration to settle their dispute...
Mass Casualties in DC Commuter Rail Crash
Posted on June 22, 2009Washington, DC:Four people are dead and dozens injured after one Metro transit train smashed into the back end of another in Washington, DC during the Monday evening rush hour commute. Included among the four dead in the train crash is the female operator of the second train...
If You Suspect Foodborne Illness, Get a Stool Sample ASAP
Posted on June 22, 2009Glendale, CA: Last August Rima and her husband George had dinner at a new Mexican restaurant. That night, George was vomiting and had diarrhea-symptoms of foodborne illness. Unfortunately, George didn't seek medical help and didn't get a stool sample --consequently they have no proof--but Rima believes that food poisoning almost killed him.
Stevens Johnson Syndrome: One Compelling Story
Posted on June 22, 2009Seattle, WA: Her name is Sandra and she simply took some medication to feel better. That simple act appears to have thrown the young mother into a months-long tailspin of ill-health and hospitalization. Sandra has Stevens Johnson Syndrome, also known as SJS...
EPA Steps in to Help Asbestos and Mesothelioma Victims in Montana
Posted on June 21, 2009Washington, DC: Mesothelioma may not be as familiar a term as cancer, leukemia or HIV-but its effects are no less devastating. So much so that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this month used it's authority to invoke a public health declaration for the first time in its history in an effort to aid victims of mesothelioma cancer and asbestos mesothelioma in northwest Montana.
Levaquin Patient Says She Deals With Pain Every Day
Posted on June 21, 2009Starkville, MS: Patients who were given the Levaquin antibiotic are now wondering if the Levaquin medicine has caused more health problems than they bargained for. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a black box warning alerting patients to Levaquin side effects, specifically the risk of tendonitis or tendon rupture...
Are Hostile Work Environment Complaints Violations of the California Labor Law?
Posted on June 20, 2009Sacramento, CA: Katherine worked at a nutritional supplement company for just two months, but during that time she alleges that management constantly harassed her and several co-workers. She also claims that they are losing "thousands of dollars" from unpaid commissions...
Did Oregon Go Far Enough in Defective Products Statute Update?
Posted on June 20, 2009Salem, OR: The personal injury suffered by four Lake Oswego teachers in 2004 has served to prompt state lawmakers to beef up a defective products personal injury statute in Oregon, further shielding Oregon citizens from defective products and providing a few more tools to the defective products attorney.
"Forget It", says Shoulder Pain Pump Patient
Posted on June 20, 2009Belleview FL: John S. says he was told prior to shoulder surgery that his doctor would give him a shoulder pain pump to help manage the pain following the surgery. What John did not know was that the shoulder pain pump was linked to a serious shoulder injury known as Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL)-a potentially permanent condition that is quite painful.
Interview with PPH attorney David Friend
Posted on June 19, 2009Austin, TX: Although prescription Fen-phen is no longer on the market due to its association with pulmonary hypertension and heart valve problems, personal injury attorney David Friend at Hissey Kientz LLP says that herbal Fen-phen continues to be a popular alternative to consumers...
Stay Out of the Nestle Cookie Dough Bowl
Posted on June 19, 2009Glendale, CA: On June 19, 2009, Nestle USA of Glendale, California, issued a nationwide cookie dough products recall after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FDA (CDC) officials linked consumption of uncooked cookie dough to 66 E...
Zicam Users Don't Smell a Rat (And That's the Problem…)
Posted on June 19, 2009Scottsdale, AZ: A recent warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with regard to Zicam nasal spray has migrated to Canada, where the Canadian Health authority has mirrored the FDA recommendation for consumers to immediately stop using three
Chinese Drywall Class Actions Consolidated in New Orleans
Posted on June 19, 2009Tampa, FL: Even though the Chinese drywall debacle is centered largely in Florida, the legal eagles involved in several China drywall class action lawsuits will be heading to the Big Easy in order to litigate Chinese drywall problems.
Compensation for Overtime Work Vital for Employees
Posted on June 19, 2009Pittsburgh, PA: When it comes to not receiving overtime pay, what tends to come to mind are gross violations of overtime laws. Such gross violations might include forcing employees to work 10 to 20 extra hours a week off the clock. However, companies can be in violation of overtime rules even when employees are putting in an extra 10 to 15 minutes before and after their work shifts, if those extra minutes take them above and beyond the 40 hour work week.
Expedia at Losing End of Two Alleged Consumer Fraud Rulings
Posted on June 18, 2009Columbus, GA: Alleged consumer fraud is most grievous in the midst of a soft economy, when consumers have to dig even deeper and sacrifice even more-whether that sacrifice involve simply putting food on the table, or something in the recreational vein such as a vacation...
SSRIs and Birth Defects: Pregnant Women Face Heartbreaking Decisions
Posted on June 18, 2009Boston, MA: It is probably safe to say that most pregnant women make important-and difficult-decisions every day of their pregnancy. They have to choose what food is safe to eat, what they can and cannot drink and what chemicals they should or should not be around...
Attorney Sues Americash for PayDay Loan Hell
Posted on June 17, 2009i>Chicago, IL: Out of control payday loans can feel like a kind of purgatory-where borrowers swim as fast as they can but still find the shoreline getting farther and farther away. In the state of Illinois, the attorney general's website specifically warns consumers about payday loans and advises them to consider all other possible options for entering into a payday loan agreement...
Attorney Norah Hart Takes on Match.Com
Posted on June 17, 2009New York, NY: The details may sound sexy but as New York attorney Norah Hart sees the situation, the battle against Match.com, the world's biggest online dating service, is a plain old case of consumer fraud.
Chantix Appears on FDA Safety List
Posted on June 17, 2009Washington, DC: The inclusion of Chantix on a new watch list released yesterday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adds weight to the potential for Chantix suicide and various other Chantix side effects associated with the smoking cessation drug...
Hydroxycut User "Wouldn't Take it Again"
Posted on June 17, 2009Liberty, TX: When Yvonne A. started taking Hydroxycut supplements her goal was to lose weight. She had tried Hydroxycut diet supplements before and had felt strange while taking them, but tried the weight loss pills again.
Anonymous Girl V. Anonymous Landlord in Lead Paint Case
Posted on June 17, 2009Orford, NH: Attorney Robin Curtiss recently settled a lead paint poisoning case on behalf a girl who was negatively affected by the lead paint in her family's rented home during the 1990s. The terms of the settlement require that Curtiss, and anyone else for that matter, refrain from identifying the parties involved, but the case stands out because of the value of the settlement and because lead paint cases continue to come forward despite what is known about the issue.
Heparin Contamination A Worst Case Scenario for Some Patients
Posted on June 17, 2009Los Angeles, CA: It is what some people might call a worst case scenario: A drug given to people already at risk of complications-either because of a major surgery or medical procedure such as dialysis-is contaminated. This is what patients who were given a Heparin injection via Heparin syringes faced...
Former Reglan Patient Says "Listen to Your Body"
Posted on June 16, 2009Queens, NY: Pamela W. says she is not certain that the eye twitching she experienced after taking Reglan was related to the link between Reglan and tardive dyskinesia. However, she reports that the eye twitching has improved since she stopped taking the medication...
Did Unum Stonewall Policyholder Out of $24,000?
Posted on June 16, 2009Skokie, IL: If the postings at consumeraffairs.com are any indication, current and former policyholders of Unum Insurance (also known as UnumProvident) are still having trouble collecting benefits.
Cruise Passenger Missing From Carnival Cruise Lines "Holiday"
Posted on June 16, 2009Miami, FL: A search is underway in the Gulf of Mexico for a Carnival Cruise Lines passenger who is believed to have fallen overboard Monday night.
Did City Have the Right to Mandate Overtime?
Posted on June 16, 2009Portsmouth, NH: It's one thing to work overtime hours and not be paid for that overtime-and the majority of overtime complaints subscribe to such an occurrence. However, the other extreme also applies-when an employee is allegedly forced to work overtime he has not agreed to, nor is he required to.
Is Sudden Death of Children a Risk in ADHD Drugs?
Posted on June 16, 2009Washington, DC: The jury is still out as to whether or not an ADHD drug could be viewed as a defective drug due to concerns with regard to the potential for sudden death in some children. A drug defect in this context has yet to be proven and drugs need not be labeled as defective medical products if the risk has not been nailed down.
Rescue Mission Turns Deadly After Helicopter Crash
Posted on June 16, 2009Santa Fe, NM: A rescue mission turned deadly after a helicopter crash took the lives of 2 people on board. According to the Associated Press, the helicopter accident took place after a hiker was reported lost. The helicopter pilot, Sgt Andy Tingwall, had rescued the lost hiker, but the helicopter then crashed into the side of a mountain.
Sulfa Drug Allergy Foundation for Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Posted on June 15, 2009Beaumont, TX: Medical malpractice comes in many forms. It can be a horrifically botched operation, like the wrong leg being amputated. Such instances may serve as fodder for sensational medical malpractice negligence headlines, but one can imagine the horror and devastation to the patient...
California Labor Law: When a Union Dictates the Right to Work
Posted on June 14, 2009Los Angeles,CA: Even though US Federal labor law forbids an employer from discriminating against an employee on the basis of non-membership in a union, that federal statute doesn't appear to be mirrored by California labor laws, if a recent example is any indication...
Bactrim SJS: From the Epitome of Health to Near-Death
Posted on June 14, 2009Mobile, AL: After three days on Bactrim for a mild infection, Myra was so sick that she wound up in the ER with a fever of 104 degrees. And she got worse because the doctor told her to continue taking the sulfa drug. Finally a dermatologist saw her and diagnosed SJS Bactrim: Myra almost died from a severe allergic reaction to Bactrim that caused Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Long Term Care Insurance
Posted on June 14, 2009Milwaukee, WI: If you have purchased a long term care insurance policy, you have probably already considered the "what-ifs" associated with aging. You have probably already thought about the circumstances under which you might need long term care insurance benefits and have decided that the probability of needing long term care insurance is great enough that it is worth having coverage...
NFL Dreams Dashed by Shoulder Pain Pump
Posted on June 13, 2009Blue Ash, OH: He said his doctor told him that it was akin to throwing acid on a painted wall. Analogies aside, Matthew McKeown is a young man with a dream in tatters after a shoulder pain pump manufactured by I-FLOW used after a shoulder injury is alleged to have destroyed his shoulder.
Did Composites Bring Down Air France Flight AF 447?
Posted on June 13, 2009Washington, DC: While the black boxes of doomed Air France Flight AF 447 have yet to be found, the retrieval of bodies and debris is shedding new clues as to what might have brought down the Airbus A330 and caused the plane crash.
Woman Suffers Fractures After Taking Avandia
Posted on June 12, 2009Rocky Mount, NC: Avandia side effects allegedly cover a wide range of health problems, from heart attack to the increased risk of fractures in women. While people may know about the reported link between Avandia and heart attack, fewer people may know the risk of fractures...
MRI Contrast Agents: Are they Safe?
Posted on June 12, 2009Washington, DC: Patients with renal insufficiency (chronic kidney disease or acute kidney injury) have been warned of MRI Health Risks, namely nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) following exposure to gadolinium based MRI contrast agents (GBMCA). Experts have also advised physicians who order MRI scans for patients that the risk of NSF depends on the degree of renal dysfunction, dose of contrast agent, gadolinium contrast agent stability and severity of concomitant illness.
An Infant's Struggle with Tardive Dyskinesia
Posted on June 12, 2009San Bernardino, CA: Reglan side effects, specifically, Reglan tardive dyskinesia, would be difficult for any adult to take. So imagine how it must be for an infant, who cannot talk about what he is going through, who can only live through it day after day...
Chinese Drywall: A Builder's Perspective
Posted on June 12, 2009West Palm Beach, FL: "Throughout my 30-year career as a builder I have installed over 300,000 sheets of drywall and we have never come across anything like this Chinese drywall," says John George of majestichomesonline.com. "Sadly, we don't know the ramifications yet of this contaminated Chinese drywall mess, but it could pose a serious health problem...
Securities Fraud: When Your Securities Are Not Secure
Posted on June 12, 2009Chicago, IL: Although it has been approximately 6 months since Bernard Madoff's arrest sent shockwaves through the investment industry, the fallout from that arrest still continues. More lawsuits have been filed in the case, alleging securities fraud...
"Levaquin Ruined My Life"
Posted on June 12, 2009Washington, DC: His name is John Fratti and he walks with a cane. He can barely make it down the stairs. Lest you think that John is a stooped, elderly gentleman, John Fratti is a young man. There's a video of him floating around somewhere of an extremely athletic man shooting hoops with friends...
FDA to Oversee Tobacco Industry
Posted on June 11, 2009Washington, DC: In a move that could drastically change the tobacco industry, the US Senate has voted to give regulators new powers to oversee the industry. The smoking legislation limits nicotine in cigarettes, regulates ads that glorify smoking, and bans flavored smoking products...
Whistleblowers Allege Wrongful Termination
Posted on June 11, 2009Indianapolis, IN: You work hard at your job and you expect to be compensated fairly for your work and treated with the appropriate respect, right up until you are the victim of a wrongful termination. Wrongful termination law protects employees from losing their jobs unfairly...
Maggots in Leg Wound Seen as Nursing Home Negligence
Posted on June 11, 2009West Palm Beach, FL: When nursing home abuse allows for a departure of not only basic care but also of human kindness and compassion, nursing home negligence becomes more than mere nursing home neglect. When maggots are seen coming out of a wound that has not been properly managed it smacks of cruelty and indifference...
Two Confirmed Dead in ConAgra Food Plant Explosion
Posted on June 10, 2009Garner, NC: Two people have been confirmed dead and a third person is missing after a massive explosion at a ConAgra food plant yesterday morning. According to officials quoted on CNN.com four people were in critical condition after the 11:30am EST explosion at the ConAgra Foods facility at Garner, North Carolina just south of Raleigh...
Hope for Victims of Defective Medical Devices
Posted on June 10, 2009Washington, DC: Patients who have been injured by defective medical devices are hoping that a hearing into medical device safety will result in the reinstatement of their lawsuits against medical device makers. Although the same issue has been dealt with regarding medical drugs, there is a difference between drugs and medical devices, so, while US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval does not preempt a lawsuit regarding drugs, it currently does regarding medical devices.
Heparin Contamination a Brown, Gummy Goo at AM2PAT
Posted on June 10, 2009Raleigh, NC: Heparin contamination at first glance sounds like a medical term-which it is. But when a bad heparin injection with tainted heparin syringes results in the death of a loved one, such a term becomes much more than a simple headline or an entry on a page...
Asbestos Mesothelioma and General Motors
Posted on June 09, 2009Flint, MI: Dianna's father, Jerrold, has lung cancer, which has also traveled to his brain. Diagnosed in March 2008, his doctor said he had months to live. But he has defied the prognosis and is currently investigating the possibility that his illness may be the result of asbestos exposure - that he may have asbestos mesothelioma.
Former Bodybuilder Discusses Possible Hydroxycut Side Effects
Posted on June 09, 2009Dallas, TX: Among the people who took Hydroxycut supplements are bodybuilders, who hoped to use the supplement to help obtain and maintain a chiseled look. Melissa P. (not her real name) is among that group. She took Hydroxycut diet supplements in the hope of one day becoming a fitness model...
"Nightmares from Chantix Drove Me Crazy"
Posted on June 09, 2009Flint, Michigan: Posted on the Chantix website is a litany of side effects: one of the most common is abnormal dreams. But scroll down and in smaller print the popular smoking cessation drug also lists "nightmares". Harriet didn't read the small print and neither did anyone tell her that she would have nightmares so bad she would be afraid to go to sleep, and she would sink into depression.
Rite Aid Overtime: A Fine Line Between Assistant Manager and Hourly Employee
Posted on June 08, 2009Lancaster, CA: It is not unusual to hear employees say they are not being paid fairly for hours worked, so it is no surprise to hear about Rite Aid overtime and the company's alleged unfair overtime compensation. People who work at Rite Aid stores as assistant managers say Rite Aid overtime and Eckerd overtime are not properly compensated.
Why Raptiva was Withdrawn
Posted on June 08, 2009Daly City, CA: After getting FDA approval in 2003, Raptiva was used to treat about 46,000 patients worldwide. In April, Genentech's immunosuppressant for psoriasis was withdrawn from the market after it was associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis (PML)-a rare brain disease...
No-Show at Basketball Event Cited as Consumer Fraud
Posted on June 08, 2009Wichita, KS: There are as many types of consumer fraud as there are goods and services for consumers to purchase-and while consumers shell out their hard-earned dollars in good faith, all too often the providers of those products do not share the same goodwill...
Preventing Foodborne Illness this Barbeque Season
Posted on June 08, 2009Madison, WI: Who doesn't love a barbeque? It's one of America's favorite summer pastimes, but all too often we hear reports of people getting sick from eating contaminated food. Last month, President Barack Obama pledged to revamp protection of the nation's food supply to help prevent future disease outbreaks: Numerous outbreaks of foodborne illness have exposed "haphazard oversight of the nation's far-flung food supply chain"...
More Bodies Found From Air France Crash
Posted on June 07, 2009Recife, Brazil/Paris: Four more bodies-making a total of six--were found today from the Air France plane crash. Search crews also sighted more corpses and plane wreckage about 680 miles (1,100 km) northeast of Brazil's coast.
Sensitive Hospital Records Left on Train a Breach of Civil Human Rights
Posted on June 07, 2009Boston, MA: A major tenet of basic civil human rights is the right for privacy. So one can imagine the affront to civil and human rights after a sheath of confidential medical records was removed by an employee of a hospital in order to work at home over the weekend, only to leave the documents on a commuter train the following Monday...
Colgan Air and Air France Allegedly Knew of Issues Prior to Crashes
Posted on June 07, 2009Buffalo, NY: In the wake of a series of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings into the plane crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, New York, come reports that an inspector warned both Colgan Air and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about problems with the Dash 8 plane a year before the airplane crash...
Chrysler Bankruptcy Leaves Auto Defect Plaintiffs Hanging
Posted on June 06, 2009Washington, DC: Ever since the first Model T came off the assembly line, the auto defect has been a part of automotive life for both manufacturer and consumer. For the latter a defective automobile is not only a frustration, it can also be injurious and defective auto lawsuits are commonplace...
Mothers Suffer Guilt Over Use of Paxil
Posted on June 06, 2009Montgomery, AL: Unless you have been told that something you did might have caused your child's birth defects, you probably do not know the overwhelming guilt that mothers whose babies were born with alleged Paxil birth defects feel. These women, who believed that taking the antidepressant was better for the baby than if they did not, now face a lifetime of guilt, a lifetime of thinking that Paxil side effects might have caused their child's pain.
Many Questions Involved in Car Accident Litigation
Posted on June 06, 2009San Francisco, CA: It only takes a second, but in that second your life can change forever, all because of a car accident. Car crashes happen every day. Some are minor and result in little or no damage to either the people or the vehicles involved. However, some are catastrophic, resulting in death and permanent injuries...
When Antitrust Stifles a Move up the Ladder
Posted on June 05, 2009Washington, DC: When an employee of one company jumps ship and defects to a competitor, is such an event cause to suspect a breach of antitrust laws? Most would agree that such practice is simply healthy competition. However, what happens when companies are alleged to collude NOT to hire each other's employees? Is that a violation? Antitrust policy is a complex animal and the Antitrust Act is brought to bear on a number of different issues.
Defective Product Laws Protect Consumers
Posted on June 05, 2009Miami, FL: When it comes to making purchases, you are probably very careful about avoiding defective products. After all, who wants to spend hard earned money only to wind up with a defective product personal injury? Surely no one out there would purposely spend money on a product that is known to be seriously flawed-and yet, there are still a lot of defective product claims against a variety of companies...
California Labor Law: More on Overtime for IT Workers
Posted on June 04, 2009San Jose, CA : According to the California Labor Law, most IT workers are entitled to California overtime for computer professionals. Job duties trump job descriptions and many employees are not performing managerial tasks, thus making them misclassified as exempt...
Wrongful Death Settled for $2 Million, but Questions Remain
Posted on June 04, 2009Brooklyn, NY: The family of a woman who died while lying on the floor of a hospital lobby in Brooklyn, New York and alleged the wrongful death of their loved one was vindicated late last month by way of a $2 million settlement. Wrongful death lawsuits, while unfortunate can also be necessary as this family discovered after contacting a wrongful death attorney.
Medical Student Suffers Dog Bite Injury in Florida
Posted on June 03, 2009Fort Lauderdale, FL: In a way, it's ironic that Kailen Gonzalez is studying to be a surgical technician. The native of Fort Lauderdale is hoping that a plastic surgeon can fix the scars from a dog bite injury after she needed 25 stitches to close wounds in her face...
A Close Call with Oral Sodium Phosphates
Posted on June 03, 2009Missoula, MT: In 2005 Mike was scheduled for his third colonoscopy and had taken Oral Sodium Phosphates as instructed by his physician. "I followed directions completely, from the manufacturer's label and my doctor, and took two full bottles of the Fleet Phospho-soda," says Mike...
Study Links Certain Acid Reflux Drugs to Pneumonia
Posted on June 02, 2009Boston, MA: A recent study has found a link between certain acid reflux drugs and an increased risk of pneumonia, according to an article in The New York Times. Although you may not think this affects you, some reports estimate that between 40 and 70 percent of hospitalized patients receive some form of medication to prevent acid reflux...
Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia: Cruel Loss of Control
Posted on June 02, 2009El Dorado, AR: A patient who was prescribed Reglan for longer than the recommended period and allegedly wasn't made aware of Reglan side effects has launched a lawsuit against the manufacturer. The plaintiff now suffers from Reglan tardive dyskinesia, a debilitating condition for which there is no cure...
Hydroxycut Recall a Sign of Wanting Regulation
Posted on June 02, 2009Washington, DC: The voluntary recall of Hydroxycut supplements last month points to more than a problem with Hydroxycut diet supplements. There appears to be a far larger issue with regard to the regulatory process involved for dietary supplements, a process which-were it more rigid and thorough-might prevent things like Hydroxycut liver damage.
Oral Sodium Phosphates-a History
Posted on June 02, 2009Washington, DC: It is necessary for the colon to be free of solid matter to allow a doctor to examine the large colon and part of the small bowel during a colonoscopy. Purgatives (also known as bowel cleansers) such as oral sodium phosphates, which were readily available over-the-counter until recently, are generally administered to clear out the bowels and patients would alter their diet for up to 3 days before the procedure.
Overtime Pay: Who is Protecting Your Rights?
Posted on June 02, 2009Washington, DC: When it comes to overtime pay who is protecting your rights? You might think the Department of Labor (DOL) is taking care of ensuring overtime laws are being properly followed. However, according to a March 2009, report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the DOL's Wage and Hour Division may not be doing all that well at enforcing overtime rules.
Possible Air France Debris Spotted in the Atlantic
Posted on June 02, 2009Rio de Janiero: Debris has been found floating in the Atlantic Ocean along the flight path taken by the ill-fated Air France Flight AF 447 that disappeared yesterday. Squadrons from the Brazilian Air Force have been combing the ocean ever since for signs of the missing Airbus A330 and the horrific plane crash it could represent.
Did Avandia Cause Patient's Heart and Lung Problems?
Posted on June 02, 2009Dallas, TX: Karen H. says that she is not positive that Avandia has caused her heart problems but it is the only drug she has taken that she says caused a bad reaction. She did not suffer an Avandia heart attack but she says she believes she suffered other Avandia side effects...
Air France Jet Missing with 228 Aboard, Plane Crash Feared
Posted on June 01, 2009Paris: In what could be one of the worst air disasters in aviation history, an Air France flight bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris has dropped out of sight somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean and a plane crash is feared.
Patient Concerned About Possible Heparin Reaction
Posted on June 01, 2009Park Ridge NJ: Stephen J. says he is not positive his health problems are related to the recent Heparin contamination. However, he says that he did receive a Heparin injection, through Heparin syringes, in late 2007, and now experiences health issues that he did not have prior to his Heparin exposure...
Massive Storm Could Have Played a Role in Air France Flight 447 Disappearance
Posted on June 01, 2009Paris, FR: The Air France Airbus A330 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France, that disappeared last night over the Atlantic Ocean remains missing. No wreckage or debris from the aircraft has been located either.
Salmonella Spice Outbreak Expands
Posted on June 01, 2009Houston, TX: On May 30th, health officials confirmed that the recent West Coast foodborne illness outbreak of rare Salmonella Rissen has expanded to 5 states. The current illness count has risen to 79, and is distributed as follows: California (63), Nevada (10), Oregon (4), Washington (1), and Idaho (1)...
SJS Dilantin: "I am Lucky to be Alive"
Posted on June 01, 2009San Diego, CA: Tom G. was prescribed Dilantin after he passed out in a Denny's restaurant and his neurologist concluded he had a "seizure potential." Turns out he never did have a seizure; instead he wound up with SJS dilantin, a serious allergic reaction to the drug.
New Study Finds Gadolinium in Rodents Lingers for One Year
Posted on June 01, 2009Washington, DC: As more is written about MRI health risks in relation to MRI and kidney failure, more research is emerging with regard to the length of time gadolinium can linger on the skin. Gadolinium, an imaging agent commonly used during MRI to enhance the image for doctors, is thought to be relatively safe given the body's capacity to expel the material within a reasonable time frame...
Heightened Risk for Lung Cancer Death Linked to Hormone Therapy
Posted on June 01, 2009Orlando, FL: A hormone therapy that is already long suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer in women has now been cited for increasing the risk of death from lung cancer, according to a new analysis of an old study discontinued in 2002.
Good Samaritan Denied Workers Compensation in Arkansas
Posted on May 31, 2009Little Rock, AR: In an example of doing things 'by the book' at the possible expense of moral fairness, a McDonald's employee who filed a workers compensation claim after being shot while on the job was denied workers comp. Workers compensation law exists to protect the rights of employees who are injured in the course of their duties.
"Thanks to Unum, I Crashed Before the Recession"
Posted on May 31, 2009Amarillo, TX: Sharon wonders if you have to be on your death bed to collect long term disability benefits from Unum. First she had a skin disease then her kidneys shut down. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, lung disease and more. She has also been in the hospital 9 times with pneumonia...
Chinese Drywall Class Action Lawsuits
Posted on May 30, 2009Sarasota, FL: Chinese Drywall class action lawsuits have been filed in Florida (where most of the problems have occurred) and more recently in North Carolina and Virginia. Homeowners allege that the Chinese Drywall has damaged their homes by corroding metal--and it is making them sick.
Whistleblower Lawsuit Leads to Nationwide Investigation
Posted on May 30, 2009Buffalo, NY: A whistleblower lawsuit settlement not only cost the defendants involved significant coin, it saved the struggling US health care industry millions-and all thanks to two men who engaged in some conscience-clearing whistleblowing with backing from the Whistleblower Act.
Asbestos Mesothelioma: Family Sues 33 Companies on Behalf of Deceased Father
Posted on May 30, 2009Beaumont, TX: The family of Lawrence Baggett have had enough. Having watched as their father died a painful death from asbestos mesothelioma, and faced the emotional and financial outcome of his illness, they filed a lawsuit alleging their father was not warned adequately about working around asbestos.
Hydroxycut Litigation Starts Packing On Heavyweight Attorneys
Posted on May 29, 2009Hackensack, NJ: Balkin & Eisbrouch have been hammering away in the mass torts field for more than a decade and it shows. The list of dangerous drugs alone that David Eisbrouch has worked on literally goes from A to Z. From Accutane to Zyprexa, Eisbrouch has represented hundreds, if not thousands of people and won significant awards on behalf his clients...
Zavareei & Tycko Bring GE to Court
Posted on May 29, 2009Washington, D.C. Fortunately someone called the fire department in time to save the pets inside, but the kitchen was completely destroyed and the Michigan homeowner was surprised when he heard what caused the fire. "There have been dozens of reports of microwaves turning themselves on, starting to smoke and sometimes even catching fire," says attorney Hassan Zavareei.
Heparin Contamination: The Dangers of Unknown Ingredients
Posted on May 29, 2009Santa Fe, NM: Following the Heparin contamination that was allegedly associated with numerous deaths and adverse reactions, patients have wondered whether their Heparin injection, or their exposure to Heparin syringes, might have resulted in their own adverse reaction...
Former Rite Aid Assistant Manager Shares His Story
Posted on May 29, 2009Holmesville, OH Although Jim M. worked as a Rite Aid Assistant Manager 20 years ago, more recent complaints about the company are coming to light. According to an article in Labor Notes, a warehouse in Lancaster, California, which houses merchandise destined for Rite Aid stores and also employs over 550 employees, has become the center of a massive employment dispute.
Google Sued for Alleged Search Irregularities
Posted on May 29, 2009New Haven, CT: As the Internet continues to evolve as an integral marketing tool for business, the ability to connect with clients and potential customers searching for your firm name is pretty much a no-brainer. Or at least one would assume. So imagine the surprise of a firm doing a cursory Google search of their firm name, only to have it come up second in the stack on the page...
Chantix Blamed for Low Potassium, led to Psychosis
Posted on May 29, 2009Richmond, VA: Virginia was prescribed Chantix in April 2007 and planned to take it for about a month to help her quit smoking. "I worked at Phillip Morris for 17 years and they encouraged us to smoke," says Virginia. But she was led to believe that kicking the habit would be easy with Chantix...
Fire in the OR!
Posted on May 28, 2009Cleveland, OH: A recent medical malpractice case tried by Cleveland medical malpractice attorney Peter Weinberger is leaping off the court docket and into print for a couple of reasons. First, there aren't many cases where a patient undergoing surgery is injured by a fire in the operating room...
Raptiva PML: Brains Appear Eaten Away
Posted on May 28, 2009Chicago, IL: In less than two weeks Raptiva will no longer be available in the United States, and doctors for weeks have been instructed not to start new patients on the psoriasis drug due to concern over Raptiva side effects and Raptiva PML.
Costco Workers Clocked Off and Locked In
Posted on May 28, 2009Washington, DC: The giant discount club store Costco may soon find itself in a big box load of trouble. A cashier from a San Marcos, California warehouse store and several other Costco employees say their employer's daily routine of asking workers to clock out and then holding them in the store until all the doors are secured amounts to little more than false imprisonment--and a labor law violation.
Reported Levaquin Side Effects Change Patient's Life
Posted on May 28, 2009Beaver, OK: Janet B. says she has suffered multiple traumas in her life, but nothing compares to the pain of a reported Levaquin antibiotic side effect. Janet experienced a tendon rupture, one of the alleged Levaquin side effects. Although Janet says that the Levaquin medicine did help to treat some serious infections, the side effects she suffered had a severe impact on her life.
Kaiser Settled Malpractice Suit, but Not Nearly Enough
Posted on May 27, 2009Pasadena, CA: Several years ago Greg M. was told he had a small tumor and was given a few options; he decided upon surgery-a decision he now lives to regret, every day of his life. "I was told by Kaiser that I would be in hospital for 3 days but stayed for 8 days," says Greg...
Nashville Attorney Puts Southwest to the 'Text'
Posted on May 27, 2009Nashville, TN: Attorney Tim Hatton says he feels like he is living that ancient Chinese proverb, "May you live in interesting times", since he took on a text messaging case against Southwest Airlines on behalf of 47-year-old woman from Saugus, California...
Americans of Ethnic Origin May be at Higher Risk for SJS
Posted on May 27, 2009Washington, DC: They may originally hail from other countries, but many Americans of diverse ethnic origin may have a concern with SJS and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) given their particular ethnic make-up and their relationship to the human leukocyte antigen allele HLA-B*1502...
Bad Faith Insurance: Stall, Delay and Deny
Posted on May 27, 2009Tampa, FL: Say you go to the Winn-Dixie to buy three quarts of milk. You hand over your money at the checkout; the attendant smiles and takes two quarts you've just bought away from you. Your purchase has just been reduced and you leave with one quart, having paid for three...
SSRI Birth Defects - Ignorance Is Bliss - Really?
Posted on May 27, 2009Overbrook, KA: Suzy (not her real name pending legal action) was taking SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants, namely Paxil and Lexapro, on and off during both of her pregnancies. She now has 2 sons, both with heart defects that may be SSRI birth defects.
Reglan Patient Suffers from Facial Twitching
Posted on May 27, 2009Murrieta, CA Sophia H. says that she was on Reglan medication for much longer than she should have been, which may have caused her to suffer Reglan side effects. Although Sophia (not her real name) has not been diagnosed with Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia, there is a chance that she has developed the condition, which is marked by involuntary movement.
When is Wrongful Termination a Violation of the California Labor Law?
Posted on May 27, 2009San Francisco, CA: Dana worked at Longs Drug Stores for 23 years, from managing to bookkeeping. "I really liked my job-it was challenging and I liked putting a grumpy customer in a good mood," she says. But Longs was bought out by a large corporation that seemingly didn't much care about their employees: Dana says she was wrongfully terminated and believes the new company violated the California Labor Law.
Why Gadolinium is Dangerous--and Subsequent Lawsuits
Posted on May 26, 2009Washington, DC: Gadolinium is a rare earth element that is used in microwave applications; color TV tubes, synthetic gemstones, compact discs and computer memory are also manufactured using gadolinium. Nuclear marine propulsion systems use it as a burnable poison and it is even used to create emergency shut-down systems in some nuclear reactors...
Two Texas Men Die in Ultralight Plane Crash
Posted on May 26, 2009Kerrville, TX: As the ultralight plane industry becomes more and more popular, it was reported yesterday that two men from Texas died when the ultralight craft in which they were riding experienced problems in mid-air and crashed yesterday. The light plane crash happened about 10 miles south of Fredericksburg, just off State Highway 16 in Texas.
Stress Testing the MOTHERS Act
Posted on May 26, 2009Washington, DC: It seems these days that everything is a test. Yes, the powers that be have decided that taxpayer benevolence now is contingent upon passing a stress test. But much to the dismay of those being tested, the results may reveal, for example, that the nation's financial wizards and auto giants are actually bankrupt midgets and unworthy of America's support.
Firm Turns the Tables on Debt Collectors
Posted on May 26, 2009Albany, NY: Strict rules protect people who fall into debt from bill collection agencies that use unscrupulous tactics. Unfortunately, there are also armies of debt collectors that routinely break the law. Attorney Chris Gleason, who specializes in bankruptcy and debt repayment issues, says the bad economy has led to some egregious examples of bill collectors zealously breaking the rules of engagement...
Keeping Track of Out-of-Network Services
Posted on May 26, 2009Louisville, KY: It can be daunting enough trying to keep track of which doctor's visits might lead to out of network overcharges but the truth is that it is important to be in the know, so that you do not get stuck with unexpected out of network fees...
"I'm Scared to Death of the Fentanyl Patch"
Posted on May 26, 2009Trail, BC: Tony was a commercial diver for 25 years until a year ago when he was diagnosed with bone necrosis (dysbaric osteonecrosis), a painful disease that is well known as a long term consequence of diving. To help manage the pain, his doctor first prescribed morphine then he started wearing the fentanyl patch...
Lawsuit Filed Regarding Hydroxycut Supplements
Posted on May 25, 2009Columbus, OH: A class action lawsuit has been filed against the maker of Hydroxycut supplements following the Hydroxycut recall. The lawsuit alleges that the dietary supplements are linked to Hydroxycut liver damage. Meanwhile, as the news about the Hydroxycut side effects spreads, more people report that they believe they were affected by the supplements.
Avandia Heart Attack Risk, Questions Remain
Posted on May 25, 2009Washington, DC: Today is a milestone for GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia. According to various sources it was May 25, 1999 that Avandia received regulatory approval for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. However, much has happened in the ten years since Avandia first surfaced with so much promise: various studies and other analyses pointing to Avandia heart attack and various other Avandia side effects.
Class Action Alleging Securities Fraud Will Proceed Against MoneyGram
Posted on May 25, 2009Minneapolis, MN: A securities fraud class action will proceed against MoneyGram International alleging stock fraud, even though the plaintiffs failed to assert a primary violation. A US District Court Judge ruled that even though the complaint did not adequately claim violations against MoneyGram, there was sufficient cause to pursue allegations of irregularities in stocks and securities.
More E. Coli Outbreaks-What Can We Do About it?
Posted on May 25, 2009Washington, DC: As we enter the summer months, we will start to see an increase in E. coli outbreaks and more cases of foodborne illness. Most of those cases will be related to the consumption of contaminated hamburger. The first outbreak, which is currently ongoing on Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, has already claimed the life of a 7-year-old and sickened many others...
Overtime Pay: Make Sure You Are Compensated For Your Work
Posted on May 24, 2009Syracuse, NY: It is a set of laws that many people know exist but few people fully understand. Among other things, the Fair Labor Standards Act sets out overtime laws such as overtime pay and exemption. When these overtime rules are not followed, employees are not paid what they are entitled to...
Motorcycle Accident Death: The Nails in the Coffin Were Painted
Posted on May 23, 2009Lake Zurich, IL: There's something about the increased openness of the open road that entices the motorcycle rider: it's just you and a minimalistic expanse of metal and rubber just below you. Yes, you are more vulnerable-so you take precautions and ride responsibly...