By Leah M. McMorris and Evan R. Hoffman Calls to poison control centers regarding e-cigarette and vaping liquids have risen dramatically over the past four years. In 2013, over 1,000 calls linked to liquid nicotine exposure were reported in the United States. In 2014,...
An Indiana woman was awarded $12.5 million dollars against Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit in damages for the injuries she suffered from their ProLift transvaginal mesh implant. The Court of Common Pleas jury awarded $5.5 million dollars in compensatory damages and added $7 million dollars in punitive damages to punish Johnson & Johnson for recklessly marketing the device.
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found the presence of diacetyl, a buttery-tasting flavoring chemical linked to lung disease, in more than 75 percent of flavored electronic cigarette and refill liquids tested. Many of the tested flavors containing diacetyl were also found to contain two additional chemicals designated by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association as respiratory hazards in the workplace. Diacetyl first became infamous in the early 2000s, when workers in microwave popcorn processing facilities were diagnosed with a serious obstructive lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans.
A federal jury in Georgia awarded $11 million to plaintiff Robyn Christiansen in the first Wright Conserve metal-on-metal hip implant bellwether trial. After a two-week trial and three days of deliberations, the jury ruled that the Conserve hip implant was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous, and that manufacturer Wright Medical had mislead the plaintiff as to the product’s safety.
Boston Scientific has recalled the RotaWire Elite Guidewire and wireClip Torquer Guidewire components of its Rotablator Rotational Atherectomy System. The company received three reports of wires fracturing, one during preparation of the device, and two during actual surgeries. The fractures during surgery resulted in migration of the wire, puncturing the pericardium surrounding the heart. One patient died during surgery to remove the broken wire.
By: Michael A. Lesser, Esq. Published on December 1, 2015 Thornton Law Firm LLP is pleased to announce that Michael P. Thornton has been recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® as the 2016 "Lawyer of the Year" for Class Actions/Plaintiffs in Boston. Nationally...
Antibiotic-resistant superbug infections caused by duodendoscopes have become more and more common. In an effort to prevent future infections, the FDA has ordered the three manufacturers of duodenoscopes to perform postmarket surveillance on how the devices are being cleaned and sterilized (reprocessed) in clinical settings.
By: Marilyn McGoldrick, Esq. Published on September 9, 2015 NBC News has released the results of a year-long investigation into medical device manufacturer C.R. Bard and their "Recovery" blood clot filter. Part 1 of their report details the defects in the...
By: Marilyn McGoldrick, Esq. The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a Drug Safety Communication warning doctors and patients that taking the new class of diabetes drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors — including Invokana — may lead to high levels of blood acids...
By: Marilyn McGoldrick, Esq. UPDATE: The trial judge later granted a remittitur to Zimmer, ruling that the jury verdict was excessive. The plaintiff declined the trial judge's remittitur award of $828,153 and elected to appeal. In 2018 a California appeals...
By: Michael A. Lesser, Esq. Tuesday June 30th was the ninth "Lawyers Have Heart" Road Race and Summer Celebration at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston. The annual event benefits the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, raising money to...
by Marilyn McGoldrick, Esq. Published on June 20, 2015 Zimmer has announced a voluntary recall of its M/L Taper with Kinectiv Technology Femoral Stems and Necks used in hip replacements, because higher than expected amounts of manufacturing residues were left on...