This week’s legal resources you might have missed: Sept. 26 – 30

At Smith Coonrod Mohlman, LLC. we enjoy keeping up with the latest legal news and sharing it with you. We firmly believe that is important to keep up with industry happenings because it is just one more way that we can help you. This week’s stories touch on legal news on both local and national levels. Deadly cantaloupe, wrongful birth lawsuits, the Dead Red law in Kansas, and BP execs (we’re not finished with them yet) were some of the topics gracing legal headlines this week. We welcome your opinions and discussion!

1. Cantaloupe death toll continues to rise. On Monday the death toll from a contaminated crop of cantaloup was at eight people. As of Thursday, the CDC has reported at least 16 deaths from the listeria traced to Colorado fruits and expects it will continue to rise. Until this is resolved, do not eat cantaloupe  if you do not know where it came from.

2. Wrongful birth malpractice lawsuit results in a $4.5 million settlement. A Florida recently awarded $4.5 million to the parents of a baby born with no arms and only one leg. The couple alleged that it was medical negligence that prevented from them learning of the debilitation early enough to terminate the pregnancy.

3. The color red generally means stop, unless you’re on a bike in Kansas.  The Dead Red law in Kansas allows bicycles and motorcycles to continue through a red light if the light does not turn green in a “reasonable” amount of time. This wording is vague- what is reasonable? Will cyclists and bikers obey a “reasonable” amount of time?

4. Lawsuits filed against top English BP executives have been dismissed in favor of an English forum. Waves of litigation spilled in (no pun intended here) after the Deepwater Horizon incident in April 2010. However, these suits primarily involving English execs at an English corporation will not go forward in US courts. An English forum will be more appropriate for litigation.

The week’s essential Failed Medical Device service resources that you may have missed. (January 17-January 21)

Smith/Coonrod works hard to make sure you are up to date and informed on Legal Industry News. Your opportunity to read industry articles on our Smith/Coonrod WordPress blog for this week are right here.

This week, we focused on Failed Medical Device services, and how to prepare yourself for all sorts of franchise situations. The first step? Contact Smith Coonrod. http://smithcoonrod.com

On outline of our Harmful Drug services:

If you have had an adverse reaction to a drug that was prescribed you may have a claim that the Law Offices of Smith/Coonrod, LLC can help you pursue. We are currently reviewing cases for clients who have had reactions to the following drugs.

Zyprexa / Seroquel	Antipsychotic medications used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. These medications have caused diabetes in some persons. If you have clients that developed diabetes while taking one of these medications, we would like to review these cases.
Fosamax	A medication used to increase bone mass, especially to treat osteoporosis in women. Certain individuals that took this have developed osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a condition where the jaw bone is being destroyed. This is often discovered when one goes to the dentist for treatments.
Renu – Contact Lens Solution	A popular contact lens solution made by Bausch & Lomb. Some individuals have developed a fungal infection while using this product recently. The infection can be quite serious, requiring antibiotic therapy (drops and medications). Some persons have developed severe corneal ulcers, some requiring hospitalization   and surgery.
Ortho Evra	A popular birth control patch. Many women that used this patch received much higher dosages of the birth control medication than they should have, resulting in clotting disorders, including strokes, embolism, and heart attacks. If you have clients that used this patch and had a stroke or developed blood clots in their legs, lungs or other areas, we would like to review these cases.
Guidant / Medtronic Defibrillator	Many persons had internal defibrillators or pacemakers implanted to help with certain heart conditions. If you have clients with an implanted Guidant or Medtronic defibrillator device and had to have it replaced or have been told it is a recalled item, we would like to review.
Vioxx/ Celebrex / Bextra	These drugs are prescribed primarily for arthritis pain. Many persons that used them had a heart attack or stroke. If you have clients that had a heart attack or stroke while using one of these medications, we would like to review the file.
Bard Davol Kugel Mesh Patch Graft	Mesh inserts used in surgery to correct mainly hernia defects. The mesh patch has caused serious injury in some persons due to its failing to maintain the shape it had at implantation. At time, serious bowel perforation injuries have occurred. If you have a client that had implanted and was injured, we would like to review.
Taxus/            CORDIS DRUG	These drug eluting stents have had numerous problems related to clotting events.
Eluting Stent	The stents were to prevent re-occurrence of heart attacks, but have often led to increased CV problems.
Trasylol	Medication marketed by Bayer. Used in heart surgery procedures mainly to reduce blood loss. Has been linked to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.
Tequin	A popular antibiotic that has been associated with changes to your blood sugar (high or low blood sugar). If you have clients that took Tequin and were diagnosed by a Physician or sought treatment in an emergency room, and were told that their blood sugar had been elevated or low, we would like to review their claims.
Zetia / Vytorin	The drug confers no medical benefit to users. The pace at    which artery-clogging plaques formed within vessels almost doubled in   patients taking Zetia (ezetimibe)  along with another cholesterol-lowering drug, Zocor (simvastatin), compared to those taking  Zocor alone

Here are some important resources you may have missed:

1. Blood Pressure Med: Avalide recall includes 64 million tablets, product recalled 60 million tablets in Sept. http://goo.gl/eynC9 [INDUSTRY]

2. Breaking News: Popular Cancer Drug Declared More Harmful Than Helpful http://goo.gl/PBY6r [INDUSTRY]

Check back each week for the best of the best news!

The week’s essential Harmful Drug resources that you may have missed. (October 25– October 29)

Smith/Coonrod works hard to make sure you are up to date and informed on Legal Industry News. Your opportunity to read industry articles on our Smith/Coonrod WordPress blog for this week are right here.

This week, we focused on harmful cases, and how to prepare yourself for recovering damages. The first step? Contact Smith Coonrod. http://smithcoonrod.com

Here are some important resources you may have missed:

1. To see the harmful drug cases we are currently reviewing, visit our site at http://goo.gl/4Vfj
2. Pfizer depression drug ineffective, may be harmful: study http://goo.gl/FVPY

Also: What exactly is an adverse drug reaction?

• An adverse drug reaction (abbreviated ADR) is an expression that describes harm associated with the use of given medications at a normal dose

BONUS:

• How Lawyers May Use Social Media in the Future – http://on.mash.to/a9RP3S

Check back each Friday for the top legal news of the week.