Asbestos Victim Awarded $3.6 Million

A woman suffering from mesothelioma caused by second-hand asbestos exposure has been awarded $3.6 million by a Florida jury. In the lawsuit, Lynda Daly claimed that she was exposed to asbestos from brakes while working at a Ford dealership and may have also been exposed by brake repairs done at her home. Attorneys on both sides said they expect the case to be appealed.

You can read more HERE.

Have you been diagnosed with mesothelioma? Contact Ed Wallis today at (901) 527-2125 for a free case evaluation and to discuss your rights, or e-mail Ed by clicking HERE.

Mesothelioma Victim Challenging Court Ordered Autopsy

A man suffering from mesothelioma is challenging a court order requiring an autopsy in the event of his death. The autopsy requirement, which is part of an asbestos settlement, is unconstitutionally vague, an attorney for James Ross argues. According to the attorney, Ross objects to the autopsy because of personal moral beliefs.

You can read more HERE.

Have you been diagnosed with mesothelioma? Contact Ed Wallis today at (901) 527-2125 for a free case evaluation and to discuss your rights, or e-mail Ed by clicking HERE.

Family awarded $16.2 Million from Fraternity

A national fraternity and its University of Texas affiliate have been ordered to pay $16.2 million in damages for an alleged hazing incident that lead to the death of a student. State District Judge John Dietz ordered the damages after both the national and university chapters of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity failed to respond the lawsuit by the student’s parents. Both defendants could seek a new trial if they can show reason for not responding to the lawsuit.

You can read more HERE.

Tougher Standards Sought for Cribs

In the wake of a recall affecting nearly 1.6 million cribs, federal regulators plan to institute new standards governing crib durability and hardware problems. A spokeswoman for the Consumer Products Safety Commission said that while voluntary standards have decreased the number of crib injuries and deaths, they have not fully addressed comprehensive durability standards. Durability and hardware issues have been at the root of five recent crib recalls, according to the Washington Post. Read more HERE.

Millions of baby cribs recalled; two lawsuits already filed.

The law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, P.C. is announcing that 1.59 million baby cribs have been recalled by privately-owned Delta Enterprises. The firm is reviewing potential cases for the drop side cribs that may have been linked to at least two infant deaths.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the recalls in cooperation with Delta Enterprise Corp.after findings that 985,000 cribs were manufactured and packaged without safety pegs and an additional 600,000 cribs have a safety peg failure defect.  Reports show that the missing safety pegs can lead to the disengagement and detachment of crib locks, creating a dangerous gap. The gap can cause entrapment and suffocation hazards to infants. As of October 21, 2008, there were two reports of infant deaths, two entrapments and nine disengagement incidents in cribs with missing safety pegs.

FIRST RECALL

One recall is for 985,000 cribs manufactured by Delta Enterprise Corp. in Taiwan or Indonesia with the “crib trigger lock with safety peg” drop side design. These cribs were sold at retailers including, but not limited to, Walmart, Kmart and Target.com from January 1995 to September 2007. They may also be found at secondhand retail stores.

Model numbers subject to the recall are: 4320, 4340, 4500, 4520, 4530, 4532, 4540, 4542, 4550, 4551, 4580, 4600, 4620, 4624 (production dates 01/06 thru 11/07), 4640, 4660, 4720, 4735, 4742, 4750 (production dates 01/95 thru 12/00), 4760, 4770, 4780, 4790, 4820, 4840, 4850, 4860, 4880, 4890, 4892, 4900, 4910, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-6, 4930, 4940, 4943, 4944, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4958, 4963, 4968, 4969, 4980. Check the mattress support label for the crib model number and country of origin.

SECOND RECALL

The second recall is for 600,000 drop side cribs manufactured by the same entity, Delta Enterprise Corp.  These cribs have the “crib trigger lock with spring peg” drop side design. These cribs were sold at retailers nationwide in the period from January 2000 to January 2007.

Model numbers subject to the recall are: 4340, 4343, 4520, 4600, 4620, 4624, 4625, 4629, 4660, 4665, 4720, 4750, 4751, 4850, 4855, 4857, 4880, 4920, 4925 -2, 4925-2B, 4925-6, 4980, and 8605. You can locate the model number and country of origin by checking the mattress support label on the crib.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

First, check your crib. If you have a crib affected by the recall, stop using it at once.

Second, call us for a free case evaluation and for help. Attorneys Tim Edwards and Ed Wallis are reviewing cases where infants have been killed or seriously injured as a result of a defective crib. Please contact Tim Edwards and Ed Wallis at 901.527.4673, or send us an email today at tedwards@gewwlaw.com.

You can also email us by clicking HERE.

Medtronic shares tumble on stent concerns

As reported by Reuters, a drug-coated stent produced by medical device maker Medtronic has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and clotting when compared to a competitive stent, according to a study released last week. The study, presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, also found that patients implanted with the Medtronic Endeavor stent were more likely to require repeat procedures. A spokesman for Medtronic disputed the study’s findings as premature.

The law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, P.C. and attorneys Tim Edwards and Ed Wallis are offering free case evaluations to anyone believing they have suffered injury from a Medtronic (or any other medical provider’s) medical device, including the Advanced Bionics cochlear implant. Please call our office at (901) 527-4673, call Ed Wallis direct at (901) 527-2125, or send us an e-mail today by clicking HERE.

We are here to try and help you.

Cigarette Case Kicks Off Supreme Court Term

The Supreme Court heard its first arguments of the new term Monday in one of several cases on the court’s calendar that will test the limits of federal pre-emption. At issue is whether a group of smokers should be allowed to pursue a class action against Altria Group Inc. and its Philip Morris USA unit under state consumer protection laws. Altria maintains that such claims are prohibited by the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act. The case is Altria Group Inc. v. Good.

You can read more HERE.

Medtronic Questioned by Senate Leaders

As previously noted by this blog, accusations that Medtronic paid kickbacks to doctors have prompted Senate leaders to push the medical device maker for more information about payments it made to physicians for consulting services. Citing past allegations, Senators Charles Grassley and Herb Kohl issued separate letters Tuesday asking Medtronic to provided detailed information about its consulting relationships. Recent newspaper reports have rekindled interest in claims that the device maker made lavish payments to doctors in exchange for using its products.

You can read more HERE.

I will continue to follow the story.

Medicare stops paying for certain “wrongs”

As we have reported in the past (read: HERE), Medicare will no longer pay hospitals for added costs caused by medical errors, following a new policy that begins Wednesday. Under the guidelines, Medicare has created a list of 10 preventable conditions for which it will not compensate hospitals. The list includes incompatible blood transfusions, certain infections and serious bed sores. The new policy also prevents hospitals for charging patients for these preventable errors.

As reported by the New York Times, this measure is expected to save taxpayers $21 Million Dollars every year. For more information, click HERE.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of medical malpractice, visit HERE for more information on our medical malpractice litigation section, or contact us for a free case evaluation. Call Tim Edwards or Ed Wallis at (901) 527-2125, or send us an e-mail by clicking HERE.

Whistleblowers Receive Awards from Justice Settlement

Drug maker Cephalon Inc. will pay $431 million to settle a number of whistleblower lawsuits accusing the company of promoting drugs for unapproved uses. As part of the global Justice Department settlement the company will also plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of distributing misbranded drugs. Four whistleblowers will split a combined award of more than $46 million under the settlement.

The whistleblower suits accused Cephalon of promoting three of its drugs — Actiq, Gabitril and Provigil — for uses other than what the U.S. Food & Drug Administration had approved.

Our firm has had involvement with these types of lawsuits in the past, which are also known as qui tam actions. Qui tam lawsuits are automatically filed under seal in court and referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution by the government. If you work for a pharmaceutical company and have proof of wrongdoing, you can put a stop to the action.

If you have a story to tell, contact Tim Edwards or Ed Wallis at (901) 527-2125, or send us an e-mail by clicking HERE.

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