Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

When a person is prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, the doctor should disclose the potential side effects to the drugs. These side effects can vary from slight headaches to nausea to infertility. If the patient gets informed consent for the drugs and chooses to take the drug even knowing the side effects, then the patient may not sue the manufacturer of the drug or the doctor for those side effects. However, there are times when drugs are not thoroughly researched and cause unexpected side effects. These are times when the patient may sue the drug maker for any defects that he/she suffered.

The parent company that creates the drug Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, was ordered to pay $2.5 million in a lawsuit that claimed that the drug caused birth defects. The jury found that the company failed to properly warn doctors and expectant mothers about the dangers of the antidepressant drug. The first of 600 similar lawsuits was brought about by the family of Lyam Kilker, who was born with heart defects. The jury found that there was a factual cause between the drug Paxil and the boy’s heart defects. The amount awarded will go to Lyam’s past and future medical care and other damages caused by the heart defect.

Glaxo is also fighting other lawsuits, some claiming that the drug causes homicidal and suicidal behavior. Have you or a loved one taken Paxil and experienced side effects that were not disclosed to you, or were out of the ordinary? If so, you need to call the experienced attorneys of Greenberg & Rudman LLP now for a free consultation of your case and to learn your rights. Please pick up the phone and call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO). You can also visit www.alawpro.com to read more about pharmaceutical personal injury lawsuits.

A local Los Angeles news station is reporting their investigation into pharmacy errors – potentially deadly errors that can be made by pharmacists when filling your prescription. Known in professional drug store jargon as “variation from prescription,” this means that customers are given the wrong medication – something that most consumers don’t realize until it is too late. If you or someone close to you has been sickened or killed in the Southland as a result of receiving wrong medication from a pharmacy, call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak to a lawyer for free now.

The CBS report has uncovered some disturbing information for pharmacy users. For one, if a drug store or pharmacist has been cited for incorrectly filling a prescription, those citations are not available to the public. Los Angeles has the second highest rate of medication filling errors in the country. Over 51 million such mistakes are made annually in the US, although the number is likely higher since many don’t report or know that they have been given an incorrectly filled prescription. Still, even if they recognize their mistake, pharmacists are not obliged to report making a prescription filling error. The report found hundreds of druggists who are still filling prescriptions after being cited for making errors, since neither loss of license nor suspension is a consequence of giving the wrong medication.

If you believe that you or a loved one has been given the wrong medication by an LA pharmacy, please get legal help now. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP is a personal injury law firm dedicated to serving you in your time of need. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential initial interview, or check out our website at www.alawpro.com to learn more about what we do best. Let us do the work and worrying for you when you call us now.

The blood thinner, heparin, as made by Baxter International Inc., has come under fire in recent years for multiple factors including a contamination of the drug that killed numbers of patients. After multiple recalls, it appeared that the Heparin scare was over. But now hospital officials in Delaware are investigating Baxter Heparin in a pair of deaths. Learn more about Heparin’s history and who has filed suit at www.alawpro.com. If you or a loved one has suffered an adverse reaction or death after receiving Heparin in California, call 1-800-ALAWPRO to talk to an experienced lawyer for free.

Heparin, a blood thinner, is used to prepare patients for a number medical procedures including major heart surgery and kidney dialysis. The previously contaminated Heparin was produced at a plant in China for Baxter. The tainted heparin found to contain oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. The bad heparin killed many of the patients who received it. At the Delaware hospital, the current Heparin in question was not made in China and was not produced in the same packaging. North America produced this Heparin, which comes in intravenous bags. Still adverse side effects were reported in five hospital patients, including brain bleeding, and two patients have died. The investigation will tell if a new round of Heparin recalls and lawsuits are next.

Hurt after getting Heparin in a CA hospital? Then get expert legal help now. The Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP has more than 50 years combined legal experience. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation with a pharmaceutical attorney. We are here to do the work and worrying for you. Please call now.

Zyprexa, made and distributed by Eli Lilly & Co., is an antipsychotic drug approved for use of treatment in those with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder only. In yet another chapter in Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa saga, the drug company has agreed to pay the State of Georgia a settlement of $6 million. Zyprexa makers have paid out over $1 billion for illegally marketing the drug to those with dementia, for which it is not approved for treatment. Additionally, Zyprexa has been accused and its manufacturers sued for having side effects including excessive weight gain and diabetes. Learn more about Zyprexa’s side effects and what rights you have if you have been prescribed Zyprexa at www.alawpro.com.

In addition to Georgia, multiple states are suing the Eli Lilly for reimbursement of Medicaid payments made towards Zyprexa. Thirty states are accepting million dollar settlements from Zyprexa. In an earlier blog, we recounted how the State of Alaska refused to accept an early settlement. Alaska sued the makers of Zyprexa and ultimately accepted $15 million after commencing a trial.

If you or a loved one has suffered side effects or been wrongly prescribed Zyprexa in California, get legal help immediately. Call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776). We have collected more than $150 million for our clients. Get your free and confidential consultation with an attorney when you call us. Help is just a phone call away.

Fentanyl makers have recalled another batch of transdermal skin patches due to faulty manufacturing on December 31, 2008. Fentanyl is an opiate pain killer nearly 100 times stronger than morphine. Damaged patches can cause deadly overdose of the medication. In the last few years, numerous recalls have plagued Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiaries who are makers and distributors of Fentanyl. Lawsuits again Fentanyl products for fatal overdoses are bringing justice to Fentanyl and Duragesic skin patch victims and their families. To learn more about Fentanyl and you legal rights, visit our website at www.alawpro.com, or call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak with a Los Angeles Fentanyl lawyer for free.

This latest recall was declared by the PriCara division of Ortho-MacNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson unit and Sandoz. Two separate lots of pain patches using Fentanyl in 50 mcg were affected – one lot was sold under the brand name Duragesic skin patches and the other was generic. In these lots, cuts in the patches could release the potent Fentanyl gel unexpectedly into the pouch, making them deadly for users, caregivers or medical workers – basically anyone coming into contact with the skin patches. Fentanyl overdose is marked by respiratory depression, which can lead to death.

Do you know someone who has been hurt by a Fentanyl pain patch? Then call a California Law Team who knows how to help. At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have more than 50 years legal experience in serving clients like you. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation. Let us do the work and worrying for you. Call us now.

The New England Journal of Medicine has released a new study that says Zyprexa and other popular antipsychotic drugs double the risk of heart attacks in patients who use them. Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly & Co. has been shown to cause side effects including obesity, diabetes and heart attack. Multiple settlements have been awarded regarding Zyprexa’s deadly side effects, and numbers of lawsuits are pending. Zyprexa is one of a new generation of antipsychotic drugs, also known as an atypicals, and is FDA approved to treat schizophrenia and certain symptoms of bipolar disorder. Zyprexa is prescribed in other situations as well, and a current lawsuit alleges that Zyprexa has been illegally marketed to elderly and youth populations. To learn more about Zyprexa and litigation, please visit our website at www.alawpro.com. If you or a loved one has been hurt or died as a result of taking Zyprexa, call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak with an LA pharmaceutical attorney for free.

This new information about Zyprexa and heart attacks risk increase is being called the “final nail in the coffin” of the antipsychotic drug and its likenesses. The newer generation of drugs was thought to be safer and cause fewer side effects than the older medications used to treat psychosis. Sadly, it appears these newer drugs are equally if not more dangerous than the older ones such as Haldol. As a result of the new report, doctors are urging that Zyprexa, whose class of drugs is the sixth best selling medicine worldwide, be prescribed sparingly. UP to now less than 50% of Zyprexa was used to treat the people it has been approved for: those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Now physicians recommend Zyprexa only to those with “acute psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia who are hallucinating and hearing voices,” and even then, older medications may be the better choice.

If you or a loved one has had a heart attack or died after taking Zyprexa in California, get help from an experienced Law Team now. At the Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have collected over $150 million for our clients. Let us help you in your time of need. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free and confidential consultation. We are here for you now.

Zyprexa, an anti-psychotic medication produced by Eli Lilly, is approved by the FDA for use in people with schizophrenia and certain bipolar disorder symptoms. Zyprexa’s serious side effects, including obesity, metabolic disorders, heart failure, have been the cause of numerous lawsuits against the manufacturer. Now a $1.4 billion settlement has been reached and will be paid by Lilly for illegally marketing Zyprexa to patients the drug was not approved to treat: the elderly and children. To learn more about the saga Zyprexa, its side effects, warnings and lawsuits, check out our website at www.alawpro.com. If you or a loved one has suffered side effects from Zyprexa, call 1-800-ALAWPRO now to speak to a lawyer for free.

Lilly, the pharmaceutical company that makes Zyprexa, allegedly marketed the antipsychotic to people for whom the medicine was particularly dangerous. In senior patients, Zyprexa can increase the possibility of infection, heart failure and death. In children, Zyprexa increases the likelihood of metabolic disorders and severe weight gain. The marketing campaigns went against regulations as Lilly advocated the use of Zyprexa for people for whom it was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Zyprexa is only approved for use in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The illegal campaign allegedly wooed nursing homes to use Zyprexa on “unruly” elderly patients, and also encouraged the use of the drug for treating “disruptive children.” Neither of those populations have FDA sanction for Zyprexa usage. The settlement is the largest ever for “whistle blower” cases.

Have you or someone close to you been hurt or killed by Zyprexa usage in California? The get help from a Law Team that understands. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP have more than 50 years combined legal experience and have won over $150 million for their clients. Call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation. Help is just a phone call away.

The Food & Drug Administration is coming under new scrutiny for not appropriately vetting doctors who try out medications prior to FDA approval. The Department of Health and Human Services discovered that financial information was missing for over 40% of doctors conducting research on new medications. One third of drug researchers’ financial data had never been reviewed by FDA regulators. This lax oversight of medication trials is another in a series of recent complaints against the FDA. Other recent allegations included insufficient trial periods and a slowness to react to approved medication side effects and overdose potentials. If you or a loved one has been injured by an FDA approved or pre-FDA approved drug in Southern California, call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak with a lawyer for free.

The following medications have received FDA recalls and/or warnings. All have resulted in settlements, verdicts or have lawsuits pending against them. To learn more about these pharmaceuticals, visit our website at www.alawpro.com.

DRUG: Trasylol/Aprotinin
MAKER: Bayer
USAGE: Blood thinner
COMPLAINT: Kidney Problems, Heart Attack, Stroke, Death

DRUG: Avandia
MAKER: GlaxoSmithKline
USAGE: Diabetes
COMPLAINT: Edema, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Death

DRUG: Zyprexa
MAKER: Eli Lilly
USAGE: Schizophrenia
COMPLAINT: Diabetes, Obesity, Death

DRUG:Gadolinium
MAKER: multiple
USAGE: MRI's
COMPLAINT: NSF (Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis)

DRUG: Fentanyl
MAKER: multiple
USAGE: Painkiller
COMPLAINT: Deadly overdosing from skin patches

DRUG: Heparin
MAKER: Bayer and others
USAGE: Blood thinner
COMPLAINT: Contamination and overdose resulting in death

DRUG: Byetta
MAKER: Lilly
USAGE: Diabetes
COMPLAINT: Allergic reaction

Have you or someone close to you been hurt or killed from medication in the US? Then call a Law Team who understands your case. At the Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have collected more than $150 million for our clients. Let us serve you in your time of need. Call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and private consultation with a lawyer. Help is just a phone call away.

Childbirth, labor and delivery remain a complicated, serious and potentially dangerous event for mothers and babies. Whether delivered at a hospital or birthed at home, both moms and infants are at risk for multiple injuries including brain injury, blood loss, deformity, nerve damage and even death. Complications and accidents around child birth may be the fault of the doctor, nurse, midwife, medication or medical device. If you or a loved one has been hurt during labor and delivery, you may not know who to blame or where to turn. To learn more, visit our website at www.alawpro.com, or call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak to a California lawyer about your case for free.

A recent settlement for $6.5 million was granted to a family whose child allegedly suffered brain damage during birth at an Illinois hospital. The mother received the drug Pitocin during the delivery, and her infant son suffered reduced oxygen and low heart rate as a result. Neither the doctor nor the nurse was alleged to have responded appropriately to the baby’s distress, and brain injury ensued.

Have you or your child been injured during birth in Los Angeles? Then call a Law Team who can help. At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have more than 50 years combined legal experience in serving the rights of the wrongfully injured. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation. We are here for you now.

News about drug companies halting free gifts to doctors such as pens, coffee mugs, clocks and clothing made headlines earlier this year. Now other freebies pharmaceutical companies give to physicians are coming under scrutiny: free medication samples. A handful of studies are showing that free drugs can have multiple downsides for patients including danger from packaging, inappropriate prescriptions, unknown side effects, and financial loss. To learn more about victim’s rights, please visit our website at www.alapwro.com. If you or a loved one has been become sick or died from taking free samples from a doctor, call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak with a lawyer at no cost.

While it might seem a fortunate and money-saving event, receiving free samples of medication from a doctor can be dangerous. New reports by the Journal of Medical Ethics, the Centers for Disease Control and others have found a number of downsides:

• Drug samples are often of new medications. Side effects and interactions are often unknown with meds that are new on the market.
• 33% of physicians admit that their prescription drug choices are influenced by what free medicine samples they receive.
• Free drug samples often lack safety information regarding dosage and potential side effects or interactions.
• Pharmacists do not oversee distribution of free medication samples, eliminating one step in the safety system of prescription drug distribution.
• Some medication samples are not child-proof.
• Children receiving free samples lose out when warnings are later attached to the medicine after an extended time on the market.
• Free drug samples of name brand meds lead to recipients’ lack of generic drug use, causing patients more money.

If you or a loved one has been harmed or killed from medication in California, you need the advice of a Law Team that understands. At the Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have collected more than $150 million for our clients. Call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation with a lawyer. Help is just a phone call away.

Heparin, a drug made by Baxter Healthcare Corp. has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits regarding both contamination and overdoses due to dangerous packaging. Heparin, an anti-coagulant or blood thinner, is used to thin and prevent blood clots in both adults and children. A scandal regarding contaminated Heparin from a plant in China resulted in a large Heparin recall. When the twin infants of actor Dennis Quaid were nearly killed from a Heparin overdose, the misleading packaging of Heparin was thrust into the media spotlight. Quaid has filed a negligence lawsuit against the makers of Heparin. Both Heparin contaminations and overdoses can lead to death. To learn more about the deadly hazards of Heparin, go to our website at www.alawpro.com. Have you or a loved on been injured or killed from a Heparin incident in California? Then call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak with a lawyer for free.

The actor Dennis Quaid and his wife have reached a $750,000 with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in regards to their infant twins' near-fatal Heparin overdose. Similar packaging for different amounts of Heparin has resulted in babies receiving 1,000 times more Heparin than intended. At Cedars-Sinai, the Quaid babies were accidentally given this type of Heparin overdose by nurses who extracted medication from the wrong vials. Per the hospital, three separate lapses in safety protocol led to the overdose. Cedars has already been fined $25,000 by California regulators for not following procedure regarding pediatric use of Heparin. Additionally, the Quaid family has filed a negligence lawsuit against Baxter, the makers of Heparin. The suit states that Baxter's Heparin packaging design and labels are dangerous, and that Baxter chose not to recall the confusingly packaged vials, even though they knew of their deadly potential.

If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed by a Heparin overdose or contamination in Los Angeles, get in touch with a Law Team who can help. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman, LLP has more than 50 years combined legal experience. Let us do all the work and worrying for you. Call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation. Help is just a phone call away.

The FDA is planning to strengthen warnings about using the drug Byetta after getting reports that two Byetta users have passed away and four other Byetta users have been hospitalized. These patients had hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Last October, the FDA reported 30 instances of acute pancreatitis amongst Byetta users. Acute pancreatitis is when there is a sudden inflammation within the pancreas. Any sudden change to the body is a dangerous event. If you or a loved one has been injured by the drug Byetta in California, please call us now at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) to get a free consultation with our experienced attorneys.

When the FDA received thirty reports that Byetta users developed acute pancreatitis, the FDA asked Byetta’s maker, Amylin Pharmaceuticals to include information on acute pancreatitis in the precautions section of Byetta’s label. However, now the FDA is working with Amylin to draw attention to warnings about acute hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. Endangering the pancreas is often a fatal activity because the pancreas produces chemicals that are vital to digestion and blood sugar regulation.

Have you or someone that you know been injured by the drug Byetta in California? If so, call us at the law office of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) now and get your free consultation from one of our experienced attorneys. You can also go to our website at www.alawpro.com for more information. We provide over 50 years of combined experience in helping the injured. Help is just a phone call away.

Seventeen overdoses of the blood thinner drug Heparin that were given to babies in the intensive care unit are being investigated by the Christus Spohn Hospital. Heparin is used to prevent blood clots from forming in IV lines. However, nurses found that about seventeen children were given overdoses of the drug for about two days. The nurses administered medication to counteract the negative effects of drug but unfortunately one baby died after the overdose.

The hospital is trying to find out if indeed Heparin caused the death because the baby was already seriously ill from the beginning and could have died from other causes. Two people in staff have already left the hospital due to this mix up. Heparin overdoses have been quite common in the past year and a half. During that time, more than 180 incidents were reported.

Have you or a loved one suffered death or injury from a Heparin overdose? If so, please call us immediately at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) to get a free consultation from one of our experienced lawyers. We have collected more than $150 million for clients and are more than ready to assist you.

Most patients have two options when getting an MRI scan. One option is the old conventional way in which the patient is scanned with the machine and the scans are unenhanced. The other option is to have the scans enhanced. These scans are enhanced with a contrast agent that is injected into a patient’s body prior to the scan. The contrast agent makes the abnormal tissues very bright on the scans and this helps the doctors to identify and assess tumors that are spreading in the body. The FDA has approved five substances to be used in these MRI scans. All of these substances are based on the chemical gadolinium. However, the use of gadolinium has been linked to a disease called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy. More commonly called NSF/NFD, this disease can lead to serious injuries and sometimes even death.

NSF is a rare disease mostly affecting patients with serious kidney problems. The first symptoms of NSF appear within six months of the enhanced MRI scan. Even a single exposure of gadolinium to a patient with a kidney disease will trigger NSF. The most common symptom of NSD is hardening of the skin. The skin turns into a hard wooden texture. Other symptoms of NSF include an inability to fully extend one’s arms and legs, difficulty walking, pain in the ribs and hip bones, and high blood pressure. Once a person contracts NSF, there is no reliable cure, only treatments that can slow the progress of NFD.

If you or your loved one has been exposed to Gadolinium anywhere in the U.S., please contact us at the law office of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) now to discuss your rights with our experienced attorneys. Help is just a phone call away.

Heparin is a generic blood thinning drug that is primarily used in surgeries. However, more than 40 lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of this drug because the drug contains a contamination and that contamination may unfortunately lead to death. The contamination of the drug was linked to a supplier in China because the supplier did not use the actual ingredient that it was supposed to use but instead used a cheaper version that just looked like the actual ingredient. This causes the drug to not function like a regular blood thinner. During the last six months, Baxter International Inc. and a dozen other companies have recalled this drug. If you or a loved one has been exposed to Heparin in California and is suffering from side effects or death, please call us now at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) to get your free consultation.

According to the FDA, more than 100 deaths have been associated with Heparin. There have been deaths that occurred due to a sudden drop in blood pressure and there have also been side effects such as allergic reactions. Due to the recent cases involving defective products against China, Heparin lawsuits might have more success than other cases involving other drugs who were manufactured elsewhere.

Have you or a loved one died or are suffering from side effects due to Heparin? If you answered yes, please call us immediately at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) to get a free consultation from one of our experienced lawyers. We have collected more than 150 million for clients and are more than ready to assist you.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) currently has a "black box" warning on gadolinium-based dyes regarding their potential severe negative effects when given to patients with kidney problems. Natural News is reporting about the terrible and debilitating effects on victims who received gadolinium during MRI's (magnetic resonance imaging) prior to the FDA warning. In patients with kidney problems, as much as one exposure to the gadolinium product can result in a serious condition known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). NSF causes skin to become hard and immobile, and can be fatal. To learn more about gadolinium dyes and NSF, please see our webpage on Gadolinium and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis. If you suspect that you or someone close to you is having adverse side effects after receiving a gadolinium-based product in California, please call 1-800-ALAWPRO now for your free consultation with an injury lawyer.

NSF has no known cure and has serious long term effects. As collagen builds up in the skin, it hardens the effected area, giving it a marble-like consistency. One victim reported having trouble with the even simplest tasks, such opening bottles, walking, and sitting. In even more severe cases, the build-up can move to the lungs, liver, and heart, causing death. Gadolinium is injected during MRI scans to create contrast, improving the usefulness of the images. In nearly all reported cases, the onset of NSF occurred within 3 months after gadolinium was administered during an MRI.

Have you been diagnosed with NSF? Then get the help of an experienced Law Team. At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, let us use our 50 years combined experience to fight for you. Call 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) now for a free and confidential initial interview. Let us do the work and worrying for you. Please call us now.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reporting yet more causes of death from the drug Heparin. Medical devices, such as intravenous lines, which contain traces of heparin have been linked to 11 deaths and 86 adverse reactions so far this year. Heparin is a blood thinner used for cardiac surgery and other medical procedures. Since the beginning of 2007 more than 81 people have died from having an allergic reaction to Heparin made by Baxter International. The alleged cause of the severe reaction is contamination of the Heparin, which is made in China. The medical device danger is another deadly chapter in the Heparin saga. To learn more about Heparin, its history and its dangers, please see our webpage. Have you or a loved one suffered harmful side effects or death after receiving Heparin in California? Then call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak to a personal injury lawyer for free.

The FDA reports that most of these newly reported heparin deaths and reactions come from intravenous (IV) devices. Heparin is used to clean IV lines. Officials do not know how many of the deaths and side effects were caused by contaminated Baxter heparin. It appears that additional drug companies, which make also heparin, may be at fault as well. The makers of some of the medical devices known to contain heparin have recalled their products.

In yet more bad news, new information from the FDA states that in addition to causing death and harmful side effects, tainted Baxter Heparin can also lead to inaccurate and faulty test results in diagnostic devices which use or monitor heparin.

If you or someone close to you has had an allergic reaction or died after receiving the blood thinner Heparin, then you need the help of a serious and experienced attorney. At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we have more than 50 years combined experience in fighting for the rights of the wrongfully injured. Let us help you in your time of need. Please call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential consultation now. We are here for you.

The drug Heparin, a blood thinner made by Baxter International, was recalled in February after it was shown to cause severe side effects and death potentially from contamination at its manufacturing site. As a result of the Baxter recall, Newsday is reporting that new Heparin dangers have arisen, including a shortage of the drug and a greater risk of heparin overdose due in part to new and unfamiliar packaging. Up to 81 people may have died as a result of receiving contaminated Heparin, which caused a severe allergic-type reaction. Additionally Heparin overdose caused injury and death, as similar packaging resulted in professionals administering incorrect dosages. For more information about Heparin, please see our Heparin webpage. If you or a loved one has suffered serious adverse effects or death as a result of Heparin in California, please call 1-800-ALAWPRO now to receive your free consultation.

Heparin works as an anti-clotting or blood thinning agent and is commonly administered; up to tens of millions times a year. When the dangers of Baxter Heparin were uncovered, a recall and suspension of manufacturing of the drug ensued. Due to heparin’s efficacy and relative inexpensiveness, it continues to be in demand, and new suppliers are rushing to meet the demand. Unfortunately, the demand may not be fully met, and as a result, many hospitals and healthcare facilities are stocking up in preparation for a serious and potentially deadly shortage.

Not only does a heparin shortage appear imminent, but because the current suppliers of heparin are new, there is also a risk of misuse by overdose. New heparin suppliers mean new heparin packaging, sometimes arriving in amounts and strengths that are different than medical staffs are used to. For instance, many new heparin vials come in larger and stronger qualities than Baxter distributed previously.

Prior to this new danger, Heparin was already one of 5 drugs most commonly associated with hospital error. In an effort to prevent another heparin disaster, some health facilities are taking extra precautions, including extra nursing training, limiting heparin access and requiring more steps prior to heparin administration. Experts state that is likely error has already occurred.

As for a heparin shortage, health officials deny a shortage is looming; however, the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists has heparin on its list of “drugs in short supply.” As a result, rationing at many hospitals and pharmacies has begun.

Have you or a loved one suffered adverse reactions or death from taking Heparin in California? If so, you need the help of a seasoned and successful Law Team. At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we offer 50 years combined experience in fighting for the rights of the injured and winning. Please call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free and confidential consultation. We are here for you now.

California State Health Officials fined 13 hospitals $25,000 each this week for violations which caused serious injury of death to patients. Among the violations at multiple hospitals was the misuse of the Fentanyl Skin Patch. The Fentanyl transdermal skin patch, also called the Duragesic Patch, is an extremely potent pain reliever used to treat certain patients for chronic pain. Please see our Fentanyl webpage for more information about the dangers of fentanyl. If you or a loved on has suffered adverse side effects or death from taking Fentanyl in California, you need the help of a lawyer now. Call 1-800-ALAWPRO to receive your free consultation.

Scripps Memorial in San Diego and Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo were among the hospitals fined for violations involving fentanyl. In instances at both locations, a patient who was not shown to be able to tolerate opioids was given the fentanyl skin patch. Poorly monitored Fentanyl increases and disposal were also cited. Misuse of fentanyl can lead to overdose and death.

Have you or a family member experienced serious side effects from the fentanyl skin patch in California? If so, you should seek the help of an experienced attorney. The Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP has more than 50 years combined experience in fighting for the rights of the injured. Call us toll free now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a confidential consultation, and let us serve you in your time of need.

A new study shows that Zyprexa may be the worst offender in causing weight gain and other serious risks for children taking anti-psychotics. Results indicated that kids taking anti-psychotics, including Zyprexa, have an “almost immediate increase in body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride levels.” Such increases can lead to severe side effects and even death. Among adults, Zyprexa is already known to include severe weight gain among its many dangerous side effects. Please see our Zyprexa webpage for more information. If you or a loved one has experienced adverse effects from taking Zyprexa in California, please contact the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP now at 1-800-ALAWPRO for your free consultation.

In their 12-week study, researchers found that all of the children-participants experienced some increase in body fat and lipids once they began taking one of three anti-psychotic medications. Preliminarily, it appears that Zyprexa was the worst offender and causes the highest weight increase.

Studies have shown that among children changes in lipids and body fat, including weight gain, can lead to diabetes and heart disease later in life. Among the mentally ill, heart disease is the most common killer. Since children are not normally under supervision for fat and lipid changes, researchers highlight the danger of the drugs, and urge parents to have their children who are at risk monitored for lipid changes.

Have you or a loved one suffered side effects from Zyprexa in California? If so please seek the advice of an experienced Law Team now. The Law Firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP has over 50 years of combined experience in fighting for the rights of the injured. Let us help you and your family in your time of need. Please call 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) now for a free and confidential consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.