Medical Devices & Drugs
Wallace & Graham has assisted individuals throughout the United States in litigation and claims involving a variety of defective and dangerous medical devices and drugs. Our Medical Drugs and Defective Devices department evaluates a wide range of drug and defect injuries and claims. If you have any legal questions with regard to any of the drugs or devices listed below, or another other drug or device, please call us at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
GUIDANT FALSE CLAIMS ACT LAWSUIT
The government offers great rewards to conscientious private citizens who “blow the whistle” on conduct that defrauds the government or keeps from the government money to which it is entitled. A law known as “Qui Tam” allows a whistleblower to sue on behalf of the government and collect up to 30% of what the government recovers from the defrauding party. Whistleblowers are also given special protection from demotion, harassment, suspension, discrimination, and threats on the job. If you have noticed overbilling of the government by a private company, please contact Wallace & Graham to make sure your rights to continued employment and appropriate reward are protected.
Our firm is currently working in conjunction with the U.S. government in a lawsuit filed in the federal court in Tennessee against Guidant, the manufacturer of defibrillators, pacemakers, and leads, alleging that Guidant failed to properly advise hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid, among others, of existing warranties for its products, resulting in the over-billing for medical devices that should have been covered by warranties. Guidant’s two Motions to Dismiss were denied and discovery is proceeding. Our lawsuit alleges that claims inflated by hundreds of millions of dollars were submitted to the government. The individual whistleblower was a salesman of these devices for Guidant.
If you have any legal questions with regard to “whistleblower” claims, please call us at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
GUIDANT AND MEDTRONIC ICD IMPLANTS
Our firm is representing clients in NC, SC and TN who have been implanted with Guidant and Medtronic devices including ICDs (defibrillators). Some of these devices contain a battery defect that may cause the device to stop working. If you or someone you love has an ICD, please let us know. These cases are pending and persons who may have claims need to act fast to preserve their legal rights.
If you have any legal questions with regard to Guidant or Medtronic ICD claims, please call us at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
AMERICAN MEDICAL OPTICS COMPLETE MOISTUREPLUS CONTACT LENS SOLUTION
On May 26, 2007, American Medical Optics voluntarily recalled their Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solution because of reports of a serious eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, more commonly referred to as a corneal ulcer. If serious or left untreated, corneal ulcers can lead to vision loss and may require a corneal transplant.
We are currently investigating claims of Acanthamoeba keratitis subsequent to MoisturePlus usage. If you feel you were injured, please contact us for a free consultation at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
AVANDIA
Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate) is commonly taken by patients with type-II diabetes to control blood sugar levels. On May 21, 2007, the FDA released the results of an alarming study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found an increased risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths among patients taking Avandia.
To date, the drug has not been removed from the market. However, the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen has released an internal FDA memo from 2002 that cited twenty-five cases of serious heart-attacks related to Avandia. The FDA is currently evaluating the results of the NEJM study as well as similar medications and it is likely further warnings will be issued.
Regardless, we consider this drug to be dangerous and we encourage anyone who believes they may have suffered a cardiovascular event after taking Avandia to contact us for a free consultation at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
BARD COMPOSIX KUGEL MESH PATCH
The FDA initiated a recall of the Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Hernia Repair patch. The patch can break and puncture the abdominal wall and the tissue around the mesh. If you were injured by a defective Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch you may be entitled to compensation.
Please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
BAUSCH & LOMB RENU WITH MOISTURELOC CONTACT LENS SOLUTION
Significant eye injuries related to a fungus forced Bausch & Lomb to remove its ReNu with Moistureloc contact lens solution from the American market on April 13, 2006. Bausch & Lomb marketed it under the brand names ReNu with Moistureloc and ReNu Multiplus.
If you or a loved one used either ReNu product and developed a serious eye infection, please contact us at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
CRESTOR
Crestor (rosuvastatin) is member of a class of drugs commonly referred to as "statins" and is used to lower cholesterol. AstraZeneca originally filed its application with the FDA in June of 2001. The application was delayed because of safety concerns revealed during clinical trials. These included reports of kidney damage and Rhabdomyolysis, a potentially life-threatening condition which causes muscle cells to break down. Crestor has been linked to cases of Rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. To lower the risk of side effects, the FDA has recommended a lower starting dosage for Crestor.
If you or a family member have suffered serious side effects or fatal injury after taking Crestor, you or the family member may be eligible to file a claim. Please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
FOSAMAX
Fosamax is a medication designed to slow bone deterioration in women with osteoporosis. Although still on the market, Fosamax has been linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a serious and painful condition. ONJ, or Dead Jaw, generally manifests when the jaw is exposed during minor oral surgery such as a tooth extraction. Wallace & Graham currently represents clients who developed ONJ while on Fosamax.
Please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
GADOLINIUM-BASED CONTRAST AGENTS (GBCAs)
The FDA recently requested that all manufacturers of GBCAs update their warning labels to include a significant risk of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NFS) among patients with acute or chronic renal insufficiency. NFS is a serious and sometimes fatal disease affecting the skin, muscles, and internal organs. GBCAs are given to patients in order to enhance the results of an MRI and are marketed under the brand names Magnevist, MultiHance, Omniscan, OptiMARK, and ProHance.
GBCAs have been available since 1997 and are generally safe for the majority of the population. Recent evidence, however, suggest that the manufactures were aware of the risks of GBCAs to people with chronic renal insufficiency, but kept this information from the FDA.
We are currently cases where clients underwent an MRI and subsequently developed NSF. If you or a loved one were similarly affected, please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON CORDIS CYPHER CORONARY STENT
In 2003, Johnson & Johnson released the Cordis Cypher Coronary stent which differs from a traditional coronary stent in that it emits the drug Sirolimus into the arteries of the heart to help prevent blockages. Shortly after it was released, several patients developed blood clots which resulted in some deaths. If you or a loved one received a drug-eluting stent and developed a blood clot, you may have legal rights.
Please call us at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
PERMAX (pergolide)
In January 2007, several studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients taking the Parkinson’s disease treatment Permax (pergolide) were more likely to suffer heart valve damage versus patients using other medications. Consequently, the FDA removed Permax from the market in March.
Permax is a member of a class of drugs known as dopamine agonists which are used in conjunction with levodopa and carbidoba to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. A similar medication, Dostinex (cabergoline) was also identified in the NEJM studies, although to date it remains on the market.
If you or a loved one suffered heart valve damage while receiving Permax or Dostinex, please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
REMICADE
The prescription drug known as “Remicade” or “Infliximab” has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. There have been reports of tuberculosis, increased risk of congestive heart failure, and infectious diseases among patients who have used this medication.
If you are using this medication, you may want to check with your doctor with regard to these issues. If you or a loved one has suffered injury resulting from Remicade, please contact our firm at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.
ZELNORM
Zelnorm was approved to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in women and chronic constipation. The FDA has removed Zelnorm from the American market after studies revealed an increase in heart attack and stroke among patients taking Zelnorm. We are committed to seeking justice for clients who have been needlessly harmed by a drug that should never have been approved for use.
If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack or stroke while using Zelnorm, please contact our firm to discuss your legal rights at 1-800-849-5291 or use this convenient form.