Free Legal Shield

Speak with us

(800) 733-5342

Alaska

Dow Settlement claims Update, Dow Settlement Lawyers

If you have filed a Dow Corning Breast Implant Claim and need help with your settlement call 1 877 522 2123 and speak to a Dow settlement lawyer. Below are the latest updated regarding the Dow Settlement Claims for 2o12 and 2014. Let our Dow Corning lawyer Help you.

April 2012 Updates Dow Settlement

The SF-DCT has moved, and their new address effective April 3, 2012 is:

SF-DCT
3200 SW Freeway, Ste. 1500
Houston, TX 77027

Their telephone number remains the same: 1-866-874-6099.
Their P.O. Box also remains the same: P.O. Box 52429, Houston, TX 77052

Regarding Premium Payments: the matter of if and when the SF-DCT issues premium payments is now under consideration by the Court. We do not know when the Court will issue a ruling. As soon as an order is entered, we will post it on our website and contact any potentially eligible LCHB clients.

Regarding Class 7 Payments: Because some unreviewed Class 7 claims were found during an audit at the SF-DCT, the SF-DCT cannot issue any Class 7 payments until those unreviewed claims are processed and given the one year time period within which to cure deficiencies. As of this date, the SF-DCT cannot predict the exact date when Class 7 payments are going to be made, but it will probably be at least another year before they can issue payments.

REMINDER ABOUT THE EXPLANT DEADLINE: The final deadline to submit an Explant Claim to the SF-DCT is June 2, 2014 . Please remember that you must have acceptable Proof of Manufacturer before you can be considered for the Explant benefit. The Explant benefit is $5,000.00 (five thousand dollars), and in order to qualify for this benefit, you must have your Dow Corning implants removed and not replaced with silicone.

Please keep in mind that it can sometimes take six months or longer to schedule an explant surgery and to obtain the necessary medical records from your surgeon or hospital. Therefore, if you want to apply for this benefit, you should keep this deadline date in mind, and not wait too long to discuss your potential explant surgery with your doctor.

Dow Corning Breast Implant Lawyer Accepting Cases Now

If you have received a deficiency notice, Dow Corning settlement or letter of rejection from a Dow Corning Breast Implant lawyer contact our Dow Corning Brest Implant Hotline immediately for a Breast Implant Lawyer ready to take your case.

Dow Corning Breast Implant Lawyers can Help You if:

Are you having problems that might be related to your breast implants? And have filed a claim or registered with Dow Corning.

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED OR HAVE FILED A DOW CORNING BREAST IMPLANT CLAIM

Capsular Contracture:

Almost every woman with breast implants has scar tissue surrounding her implants. This scar capsule doesn’t show it’s inside her breast, and is her body’s natural way of protecting her from a foreign object. Sometimes, however, that capsule is too tight for the implant. Capsular contracture is when the capsule is too tight and feels like it is squeezing the implant.

• It can happen silicone gel breast implants
• It can be slightly uncomfortable or very painful
• It can change the shape of your breast, or make it look round and unnatural
• You may need surgery to fix it
• Once it is surgically fixed, it is likely to happen again
Symptoms such as: Could mean:
pain in the breast
breasts look different from each other
breast feels firm or very hard
breasts look like round balls Capsular Contracture

This condition will not usually get better by itself. If it is very painful or hard, it will require surgery to remove the scar tissue capsule and perhaps the implant. Some of your own breast tissue might get mixed in with the capsule, and you might lose some of your natural breast. Many insurance companies will pay to have your implant removed if a woman has Baker Grade III or IV contracture, which are the most severe types, because when implants are that hard they are especially likely to interfere with mammography and the detection of breast cancer.

Ruptured Dow Corning Silicone Breast Implants

The implant is covered with a silicone envelope, which can tear or break. A rupture can be caused by a defect in the implant, daily stresses on the implant, an accident or other trauma, an accidental cut during implant surgery or biopsy, or the aging of the implant.

The older implants are, the more likely they are to break or leak. Although implants can rupture at any time, the FDA found that most rupture by the time they are 10 years old.

Aside from surgery, the best way to confirm a rupture is with an MRI, or perhaps an ultrasound. These methods require a trained eye to see a leak or rupture. A mammogram is not accurate enough to find a rupture or leak.

Most insurance companies will not pay to have a ruptured implant removed, especially if the implants were for augmentation. Reconstruction patients have an easier time obtaining insurance coverage for removal of implants, but will need to prove the implant is ruptured, with an MRI or other test.

Most experts agree that ruptured implants should be removed as soon as possible, especially if it is a silicone gel implant. Silicone gel can leak from the implant into healthy breast tissue and go other parts of your body, such as the lungs and lymph nodes, where it could be impossible to remove.

Some women with leaking silicone breast implants have had to have all their own breast tissue removed because the silicone moved throughout their breast. The result is a mastectomy, not because of cancer but because of silicone.

Many doctors believe that silicone is harmless, and may tell women with ruptured implants that they do not need to have them removed. However, it has been conclusively proven that silicone gel from a broken implant can leak out and cause permanent damage to healthy breast tissue or skin. In addition, the FDA found that women with leaking silicone implants are more likely to report several serious, debilitating illnesses, compared to women whose implants have not broken.

Infection: As with any surgery, infections can happen. Most infections appear shortly after surgery, within a few days or weeks. The most serious infections can cause toxic shock syndrome and can be fatal or result in gangrene. If the infection is very serious, the implant will need to be removed to treat it, and can be replaced after the infection has cleared up.

Disease Status Claims and Serious Illness

Everyone agrees that implants can cause local complications, such as those listed above. There is much more controversy about whether it can cause diseases or disorders. Some women can have implants for many years and never have any problems, but as the years go by, many women with implants become seriously ill. Common symptoms include joint pain or stiffness, memory problems, trouble concentrating, fatigue, flu-like symptoms that don’t go away, or pain throughout the body (fibromyalgia). Auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma are also problems among women with implants. Are these symptoms caused by implants, are women who are susceptible to these illnesses more likely to get them if they have breast implants, or would these women have become ill even if they didn’t have implants?

Dow Corning Breast Implant Complications ( Remember you must have filed a claim with dow crning or be registered to be able to file a Dow Corning Breast Implant Disease Claim )

  • silicone toxicity diseases
  • Dry mouth
  • Dry eyes
  • Persistent cough
  • Sjogren’s syndrome
  • Joint discomfort
  • Pain
  • Stiffness
  • Swelling
  • Saline implant rupture
  • Chronic fatigue Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Difficulty swallowing or breathing Esophogeal immotility
  • Memory impairment Neurological impairment
  • Muscle weakness
  • walking problems, tremor, muscle spasm
  • Slowed ability to think, poor memory
  • MS – Multiple Sclerosis*
  • Muscle pain
  • Stiffness, unusual fatigue
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Strong allergic reactions
  • Chemical sensitivity
  • White or blue fingers and/or toes in the cold
  • Raynaud’s syndrome
  • Excessive hair loss
  • An autoimmune response
  • Hardening of skin Scleroderma
  • Achy or swollen joints
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Skin rashes
  • Anemia
  • Sensitivity to sunlight
  • Kidney involvement
  • Lupus

If you have received a notice of rejection or deficiency notice contact us immediately at the Dow Corning Silicone Breast Implant Hotline

What is a Qui Tam, Qui Tam WhistleBlower Lawyers

QUI TAM, Whistleblower cases: Qui Tam Lawyers accepting Qui Tam Whistleblower Cases
Qui Tam :In Qui Tam litigation a private citizen (the whistle blower) who knows of fraud committed against the government may, through his own privately retained lawyers, file a law suit to recover the losses caused by the government fraud. The False Claims Act provides huge financial incentives to citizen whistle blowers to retain attorneys and come forward, prosecute these lawsuits and fight government fraud.
I. HISTORY OF QUI TAM, whisleblower PROVISIONS:
Qui Tam laws have existed for hundreds of years, with roots in England in the middle ages. In qui tam provisions the government gives private citizens the right and the financial incentive to retain a private lawyer to file a lawsuit to act in the place of law enforcement.
The Continental Congress in the early days of government in the United States enacted a number of qui tam provisions. Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying: “There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.” Abraham Lincoln, himself a lawyer in private practice before ascending to the Presidency, was responsible for enactment of the 1863 False Claims Act, which was necessary to protect the government from the fraudulent suppliers of faulty war equipment during the Civil War. He stated: “Worse than traitors in arms are the men who pretend loyalty to the flag, feast and fatten on the misfortunes of the nation while patriotic blood is crimsoning the plains of the south and their countrymen are moldering in the dust.” Although a significant narrowing of the provisions of the False Claims Act took place in 1943, the law was revitalized by Congress in 1986, with a significant expansion of the scope of the law and renewed attention to the federal whistle-blower and his or her attorney as a key to enforcement.
II. QUI TAM, whistleblower CLAIMS TODAY:
It has been estimated that almost 10% of the United States annual budget is paid to companies or persons who are defrauding the government. Some of them overcharge the government for products sold to the government. Others submit vouchers billing the government for services which they never provided or over billing for services provided. And still others engage in government contract fraud, defense contractor fraud, Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, or other public benefit fraud. The False Claims Act covers a wide variety of situations in addition to overcharging or billing for property or services not delivered. Virtually any situation in which the government has been cheated should be closely scrutinized by experienced Qui Tam lawyers to determine whether it is covered under the False Claims Act. The following are situations in addition to those mentioned above which would be covered under the False Claims Act and for which lawsuits could be brought:
• preparing a false record or statement or bill in order to get a false or fraudulent claim paid by the government.
• conspiring with anyone else to have a false or fraudulent claim paid by the government.
• holding property of the government intending to defraud the government or intending to conceal it from the government.
• creating or delivering a false or fraudulent receipt to the government for its property.
• fraudulently buying property of the government from someone who is not authorized to sell that property for the government.
• making a false statement to fraudulently avoid paying a debt to the government or to avoid delivering property to the government.
• causing someone else to submit a false or fraudulent claim.
To combat fraud committed against the government, Congress passed the False Claims Act, which, as noted above, was amended and significantly strengthened in 1986. Between 1987 and 1995 lawyers filed over a thousand qui tam lawsuits. For the period 1988 to 1995 alone, over a billion dollars was recovered by private Qui Tam lawyers in settlements or verdicts in hundreds of cases (law suits) filed on behalf of the United States government, with whistle blowers who retained their own lawyers to file suit receiving more than $100 million of the recovered funds. An additional $752 million was recovered in the years 1996 and 1997 alone. According to an annual report of the Department of Justice, almost $1.2 billion was recovered in whistle blower claims and law suits filed by private citizens through their own lawyers under the Federal False Claims Act for the fiscal year October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001, with more than $210 million of those funds being awarded to the federal whistle blowers themselves. The amount is growing. It is estimated that in the year 2005 $3.1 billion was collected from businesses defrauding the federal government.
The amendments make the definition of fraud broad enough to include submitting claims with deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard for the truth of statements made in the claim for US government spending or funds upon which the fraud claim is based. The burden of proof that must be met by the whistle blower’s lawyer or the government’s lawyer in a Qui Tam suit is the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, i.e., that the evidence presented by the attorneys is more likely true than not. This is the same burden of proof that ordinarily must be met by the attorney in most civil damage cases, rather than more onerous standards, such as that which must be met by a prosecutor in criminal cases of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The 1986 amendments included provisions for requiring the party defrauding the government to pay the successful whistle blower’s attorney fees and in some settlements that may mean that the whistle blower never incurs an attorneys fee. In addition, provisions were included for protecting the federal whistle-blower from retaliatory actions by his/her employer.
III.Qui Tam, Whistleblower PROCEDURE AND RECOVERY:
This law was designed to encourage private citizens to help fight government fraud by acting as a whistle blower. That is, a person who knows of fraud against the government may retain a lawyer and file a court case (lawsuit) under seal (meaning that it is kept secret during this initial phase) in a United States District Court against the company or person committing the fraud against the government. After the case is filed, the United States attorney investigates the lawsuit and allegations of fraud for sixty days. If the U.S. Attorney believes the fraud lawsuit is meritorious, the United States Government takes over the case and either enters into a settlement or pursues the lawsuit against the wrongdoer. The whistle blower still retains his/her right to a portion of the proceeds in the Qui Tam fraud lawsuit resulting in a successful settlement or recovery, even though the government has taken over the legal case. The government intervenes in approximately 25% to 33% of the cases. If the government does not intervene, the federal whistle blower, through the lawyers he or she has retained, may settle or pursue the lawsuit on his/her own. If the lawyers are successful in proving fraud against the government, the law requires the wrongdoer to pay substantial penalties, which can be assessed to up to 3 times the amount that the wrongdoer fraudulently stole from the government and, in reality, from the taxpayers. In addition, a mandatory civil penalty of between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00 per false claim will be imposed. Out of damages imposed, the private citizen whistle blower (also called a relator) can receive between 10% and 30% of the lawsuit recovery. Some relators have been paid millions of dollars. These cases are often highly technical and complex. Before filing, they must be properly investigated and assembled, which demands that you obtain competent attorneys experienced in handling Qui Tam fraud cases.

Dow breast implant lawyers are still accepting clients

If you have filed a breast implant claim prior to 1994 a breast implant lawyer may be able to help you with your breast implant settlement.

Breast Implant Helpline Accepting Clients for Dow Corning Claims
Breast Implant Helpline ,breast Implant lawyers announces a new female lawyer as part of the network to accept Dow Corning Breast Implant claims. If you have received a rejection notice from a law office contact us for a Breast Implant Claim Review

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) Apr 21, 2012 Breast Implant Helpline and Breast Implant Lawyers are accepting cases for the Dow Corning Trust Breast Implant Claims. We are helping 1000′s of women with unsettled claims or who have rejection letters from other law firms. http://breastimplanthelpline.com/breast-implant-helpline-

Contact the Breast Implant Claim Helpline and Speak to a female Medical Social Worker about your breast Implant Claim and Complications. http://breastimplanthelpline.com/get-a-lawyer/ We will help you locate a female breast Implant Lawyer. The breast implant Helpline is supporting and assisting women breast Implant victims nationwide. If you need help with Breast Implant Litigation Cases dealing with the Settlement Facility-Dow Corning Trust (SF-DCT) or the Revised Settlement Plant (RSP) – MDL-926 Claims Office contact the breast Implant lawyers of the Breast Implant Helpline and speak to our female medical social worker today. We are here to assist women with legal issues regarding their Dow claims for implants prior to 1994. Call 1 877 522-2123 for help about your breast implant claim.

If you are a victim of silicone breast implants or have filed a claim and have a notice of deficiency or a rejection letter from a law firm we want to hear from you
Silicone breast Implant toxicity Complications Include:

  • dry eyes
  • joint pain and swelling
  • myalgias
  • chronic fatigue
  • Lupus
  • numbness and tingling in extremities
  • photosensitivity
  • Chemical Sensitivities
  • Muscle Pain, Stiffness, Unusual Fatigue
  • Excessive Hair Loss
  • Achy or Swollen Joints
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Skin Rashes
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis
  • Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
  • Scleroderma
  • Sjogren s syndrome
  • Anemia
  • Sensitivity to Sunlight
  • Kidney Problems
  • Fever
  • Difficulty Swallowing or Breathing

Breast Implant complications may be serious. You must see a physician immediately.

Symptoms of Lupus

  • Fatigue and fever
  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
  • Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose
  • Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure
  • Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods (Raynaud s phenomenon)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Dry eyes
  • Headaches, confusion, memory loss

If you have a claim filed under the Breast implant settlement claims help is here for you.

Bayer Settles on Yaz, Opens Door to Yaz Lawsuits

The Yaz Helpline and Yaz Lawyers are pleased to announce Bayer, has agreed to pay out at least $110 million to settle 500 lawsuits involving Yaz blood clots. News of the settlements comes at a time when the Yaz lawsuit total exceeds 11,000, with plaintiffs claiming the birth control pill resulted in dangerous Yaz blood clots

In addition to the Yaz settlements the Food and Drug Administration has placed new warnings on Yaz packaging du to numerus studies showing a link between Yaz and blood clots, stroke and pulminery embolism. This new warning comes as a reiied to medical practitioners who are prescribing Yaz. and have been concerned about the impact of Yaz side effects. Thousands of women affected by Yaz side effects including Yaz deep vein thrombosis and Yaz gallbladder disease have filed suit against drug maker Bayer. In light of the new warnings and settlement offers Yaz lawyers are accepting cases for yaz.

Yaz Hotline is here to help women harmed by yaz. Call and Speak to a female Social Worker and be connected to a yaz lawyer

Women s Yaz Hotline Launch is based on a recently issued FDA Warning for the drugs YAZ,Yasmin and Ocella.MDL lawsuits for Yaz,Yasmin are currently being filed. If you have experienced complications with Yaz,Yasmin or ocella,call the a Yaz, Ocella,Yasmin Lawyer Hotline Attorney today. The hotline is here for you 24/71 877 522 2123 You will speak to a medical social worker.
The Federal/State Yaz, Yasmin, Birth Control Lawsuits are being filed by Yaz Lawyers. The Yaz, Yasmine Hotline is here to answer your questions and connect you with a YAZ, Yasmin or Ocella lawyer.Referencing the New York Times," Yaz has been one of the top-selling birth control pills in the U.S and Canada., with nearly 20 percent of the market. In 2008, more than $600 million dollars worth of Yaz was sold in the U.S. However, the television commercials advertising Yaz were of concern to the FDA and the Attorney General because they implied that Yaz could be used to treat or cure symptoms for which it was not FDA-approved, such as:

  • Keeping a woman s mild acne at bay
  • Relieving symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome):
  • irritability
  • increased appetite
  • moodiness
  • fatigue
  • headaches
  • bloating
  • muscle aches

Bayer agreed to make new commercials and print advertisements that did not promise more for Yaz than had been approved by the FDA, and that did not minimize the risks of Yaz birth control pills, which are many. Yaz is FDA-approved only for:
preventing pregnancy
treating the symptoms of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) in women who are using Yaz as their contraceptive
treating moderate acne vulgaris in women who are using Yaz to prevent pregnancy
Safety Announcement
[09-26-2011] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that it has not yet reached a conclusion, but remains concerned, about the potential increased risk of blood clots with the use of drospirenone-containing birth control pills. FDA has completed its review of the two 2011 studies that evaluated the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills, previously mentioned in FDA s Drug Safety Communication issued on May 31, 2011. FDA is continuing its review of a separate FDA-funded study that evaluated the risk of blood clots in users of several different hormonal birth control products (contraceptives). Preliminary results of the FDA-funded study suggest an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills compared to users of other hormonal contraceptives.
Given the conflicting nature of the findings from six published studies evaluating this risk, as well as the preliminary data from the FDA-funded study (See Data Summary), FDA has scheduled a joint meeting of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on December 8, 2011 to discuss the risks and benefits and specifically the risk of blood clots of drospirenone-containing birth control pills.

Patients should talk to their healthcare professional about their risk for blood clots before deciding which birth control pill to use. Known risk factors that increase the risk of a blood clot include smoking, being overweight (obesity), and family history of blood clots, in addition to other factors that contraindicate use of birth control pills.
Women currently taking a drospirenone-containing birth control pill should be informed of the potential risk for blood clots. FDA previously communicated preliminary information about these concerns to the public on May 31, 2011 .
FDA has prepared a list of questions and answers to provide an overview of this potential safety issue. FDA will continue to communicate any new information to the public as it becomes available
Health Canada is currently reviewing the safety of Bayer Pharmaceutical’s birth control pills, Yaz and Yasmin, in an effort to determine if women who use these drugs are at an increased risk of developing life-threatening blood clots over women using different brands of birth control.

Yaz Lawyers of Free Legal Shield are pleased to announce that contraceptive Manufacturer, Bayer, has agreed to pay out at least $110 million to settle 500 lawsuits involving Yaz blood clots. News of the settlements comes at a time when the Yaz lawsuit total exceeds 11,000, with plaintiffs claiming the birth control pill resulted in dangerous blood clots.

New Warning Labels on Yaz April 2012

In an announcement released April 10, 2012, the FDA stated that new warnings about the risk of blood clots will now be required on the labels of birth control pills that contain the progestin “drospirenone.” Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, and Safyral will now carry warnings detailing recent studies that suggest these pills may carry a slightly higher risk of Yaz blood clots.

Many Studies show Yaz linked to Blood Clots

two new studies recently published in the British Medical Journal, which concluded that women ages 15-44 taking birth control pills containing the synthetic progestin, drospirenone, are more likely to develop blood clots deep in the veins of the leg (venous thromboembolism), than women using birth control pills containing the common progestin levonorgestrel. The studies reported that the risk of developing blood clots for women taking the drospirenone-containing pills may be two to three times greater than those who take other pills. Yaz is one of these drugs.

Yaz New Warnings April 2012

In an announcement released April 10, 2012, the FDA stated that new warnings about the risk of blood clots will now be required on the labels of birth control pills that contain the progestin “drospirenone.” Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, and Safyral will now carry warnings detailing recent studies that suggest these pills may carry a slightly higher risk of Yaz blood clots

Yaz side effects include:
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Pulmonary embolism (PE)
• Blood clots
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Gallbladder problems
• Pancreatitis
List of Drugs
Approved Oral Contraceptives containing Drospirenone

  • Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg
  • Ocella Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg
  • Safyral Drospirenone 3 mg, ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg, and levomefolate calcium 0.451 mg
  • Syeda Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg
  • Yasmin Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg
  • Zarah Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg
  • Beyaz Drospirenone 3 mg, ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg and levomefolate calcium 0.451 mg
  • Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg
  • Gianvi Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg
  • Loryna Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg
  • Yaz Drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg

Recent warnings have linked various birth control drugs and devices to serious injuries and even death:

  • Yasmin®
  • Yaz®
  • Ocella®

Injuries reported:

  • Deep Vein Thrombosis
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Stroke
  • Heart Attack
  • Wrongful Death
  • Blood Clot Related Injuries
  • Kidney Failure
  • Gallbladder Injury/Removal

If you or a loved one has suffered from any of the harmful side effects of Yaz,Yasmin or Ocella such as blood clots, stroke or heart attack you may be entitled to file a Yaz,Yasmin,Ocella lawsuit against the manufacturer. Call us for a yaz lawyer with experience in birth control drug lawsuits toevaluate your claim. Many women around the United States have suffered from life-threatening Yaz,Ocella and Yasmin birth control side effects. The manufacturer can be held liable.
The Woman s Yaz Hotline is here for women suffering from Yasmin and Yaz and Drospirenone side effects

Vaginal Mesh a Disaster for Women, Lawyers filing lawsuits

If you have a vaginal mesh and are experiencing complications you need to find a Urogynecologist and you must get a Vaginal mesh lawyer.

Ask Questions and Get Answers. You are not alone and you are not imagining it. Over 300,000 women have vaginal mesh implants. They are failing in women across the country and lawsuits are being filed. Ask Qustions and get answers. These are not class Action litigations. They are multi district litigations. That means they are consolidated in certain states in certain courtrooms under one judge and that may not be the state you are in. You need an experienced mass tort lawyer who will be appearing in court for you as a part of this multi district litigation. These are not class actions. You will have your case filed on an individual basis as an MDL. Ask quesions and get answers. You do not need a local lawyer. You do need a lawyer that is keeping your case and not referring it out to another lawyer to go to court for him. Ask Questions and get answers. Choose your vaginal Mesh lawyer wisely.

What is the Vaginal Mesh?

Also known as a pelvic sling, bladder mesh, or transvaginal mesh, the vaginal mesh support systems are used to help with pelvic organ prolapse as well as urinary incontinence It is now known that they can cause serious internal injuries. These vaginal mesh patch implants, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson , C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific, American Medical Systems, and others, may cause pain, infection, erosion, organ damage, and additional surgeries, and other vaginal mesh injuries.

If you have experienced vaginal mesh complications following pelvic organ prolapse surgery or stress urinary incontinence surgery, The vaginal mesh support line will offer help and direct you to a lawyer who may be able to help you obtain significant compensation for the vaginal mesh problems you are experiencing.

Ask questions and get answers

Call us at 1 877 -522-2123 to speak with a female social worker and be directed to a lawyer.

Vaginal Mesh- History of the Problem

Between the years of 2005 and 2010, nearly 4,000 vaginal mesh injuries have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration. In a 2010 article in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers stated that they had to cease a vaginal mesh clinical trial early because of the higher-than-expected number of complications and injuries. The trial was stopped when it was discovered that more than 15 percent of women who were implanted with vaginal mesh suffered vaginal mesh erosion within only three months of implantation. As a result of numerous negative reports, the FDA issued a vaginal mesh warning to patients and physicians in 2011, cautioning that the risks of using vaginal mesh are so severe that alternative treatments should be considered. It is now widely accepted that, in most cases, pelvic organ prolapsed can be treated without the use of vaginal mesh

What are the vaginal Mesh complications ?

  • Erosion of vaginal tissue
  • infection
  • spot bleeding
  • pain during sex
  • lower back pain
  • pain on one side
  • depression
  • Hardening of the vaginal mesh
  • Infection
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Perforations of the bowel, bladder or blood vessels
  • Recurrence of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)
  • Urinary problems
  • Vaginal mesh erosion
  • Vaginal scarring

Many women who have suffered injuries as a result of vaginal mesh have decided to file defective medical device lawsuits. This has become a middle district litigation and are being filed as MDl s are being filed. A product liability, multi district litigation lawyer can review your case. Ask questions and get answers. call our Transvaginal mesh support line today.

Doctors Investigating Faulty Medical Devices Suing FDA

FDA SUED BY ITS OWN DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS

Whistleblowers accuse FDA of spying, persecution

03 February 2012

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is being sued by its own scientists and doctors who allege they were spied on and persecuted by the agency for expressing safety concerns about the approval of medical devices. This legal action has prompted an investigation by a key lawmaker in the Senate.
It's claimed that the FDA installed spyware to monitor personal email accounts

Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley a powerful member of the judiciary committee that has jurisdiction over areas like civil liberties and constitutional law has asked FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg to provide details about who authorised the monitoring of employees and why some of the plaintiffs are no longer employed by the agency. Hamburg has until 17 February to supply her answers.

In the lawsuit filed on 25 January, six whistleblowers claim that the FDA secretly spied on them for two years. They say that the agency began its campaign of electronic snooping after the agency learned that they had written a letter to the president elect, Barack Obama, and his transition team in early 2009 detailing misconduct in approving unsafe medical devices. In that letter, the plaintiffs called the FDA fundamentally broken , and said its scientific review process for medical devices has been corrupted and distorted by managers.
Soon after, the agency installed or activated spyware on the whistleblowers work computers and also monitored their private emails, according to court documents. In addition, evidence suggests that the FDA took screen shots of the employees computers and also intercepted their emails to and from staff members on key House and Senate oversight committees.
These actions appear to have continued even after the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the FDA s parent agency the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) denied the agency s request to take criminal or administrative action against the individuals. In a May 2010 letter to the FDA, the OIG concluded that the whistleblowers communications were legally protected.
Chilling effects
The plaintiffs, who were all heavily involved in the FDA s safety review process, are seeking an injunction to stop the agency from pursuing what they say is an illegal spying campaign. Two of these whistleblowers still work at FDA and say that they face continued harassment, two were fired and another two did not get their contracts renewed, according to Stephen Kohn, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
If you can target someone simply because they raise a legal, health or safety concern, that will have a chilling effect on any FDA employee alerting the public or Congress about matters of life and death, Kohn tells Chemistry World . There is a lot of pressure on these scientists to approve the devices.
According to Kohn, the whistleblowers raised major concerns about 20 medical devices that involve, among other things, ultrasound and CT scan technology. Specifically, these reviewers said some of the devices could expose patients to radiation at levels up to 800 times that of a chest x-ray and they found that others couldn t appropriately detect cancers. Nevertheless, Kohn says the FDA approved 19 out of 20 of these devices that had been flagged.
Whistleblowers point out fraud, waste and abuse when no one else will, and while they do so, while also risking their professional careers, they are often treated like skunks at a picnic, Grassley wrote in a 31 January letter to Hamburg, asserting that retaliation against whistleblowers should never be tolerated .
Grassley said that certain employees, including members of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps within HHS, are not covered under the US Whistleblower Protection Act, which leaves them vulnerable to retaliation. He says that this is a one of several loopholes in current law that should to be closed.
The FDA said it can t comment on personnel issues or any matters subject to ongoing litigation.
Rebecca Trager

Pfizer, Zoloft Birth defect Lawyers, Zoloft Lawsuit Consolidation

Pfizer Zoloft Birth Defect Litigation Consolidation

Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, has filed a motion to consolidate all federal Zoloft birth defect lawsuits. Pfizer requested that they be centralized before one judge for pretrial litigation as part of a multidistrict litigation, or MDL.

On January 18, Pfizer asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to create a Zoloft MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits

A growing number of plaintiffs throughout the country have filed a Zoloft lawsuit against Pfizer, raising similar allegations that use of the antidepressant during pregnancy caused children to be born with a variety of severe birth defects and serious malformations.

New York Federal MDL

According to Pfizer, there are currently at least 59 lawsuits over Zoloft, which involve common claims and questions of fact. Furthermore, according to Pfizer, the Zoloft birth defect litigation should be consolidated to prevent conflicting pretrial rulings, reduce duplicative discovery and to serve the convenience of the parties, the witnesses and the federal court system.

Pfizer has proposed that the federal Zoloft cases should be centralized in New York, near the drug maker’s headquarters, which would provide a central location and easy access to the company’s records and important witnesses.

Pfizer has also offered the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and the Nothern District of Ohio as possible alternate locations.

The majority of the complaints over Zoloft are currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where at least 48 of lawsuits are pending.

Zoloft Indications

Zoloft (sertraline) was released by Pfizer in 1991 for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.

By 2007 there were nearly 30 million prescriptions, making it the most prescribed antidepressant in the United States. Zoloft belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Zoloft Birth Defects

Recently, medical research and adverse event reports have suggested that use of Zoloft during pregnancy may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health problems for babies. These side effects include persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN), heart defects, lung defects, abdominal defects, cranial defects and other malformations.

Studies have suggested that Zoloft may increase the risk of birth defects when used as early as the first trimester of pregnancy, a time when many women do not even know they are pregnant.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is expected to hear oral arguments on the motion during a hearing scheduled to occur on May 31, at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C.

contact Free Legal Shield for a Zoloft lawyer today.

FDA Drug Warning for Acetaminophen for Infants

FDA Drug Safety Communication: Addition of another concentration of liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants

Safety Announcement
Additional Information for Patients
Additional Information for Healthcare Professionals
Additional Background Information

Safety Announcement

[12-22-2012] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that an additional concentration of liquid acetaminophen marketed for "infants" (160 mg/5 mL) is now available at local stores. Until now, liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants was only available in 80 mg/0.8 mL or 80 mg/mL concentrations. This change in the concentration will affect the amount of liquid given to an infant, and should be especially noted if someone is accustomed to using the 80 mg /0.8 mL or 80 mg/mL concentrations of liquid acetaminophen.

Facts about OTC liquid acetaminophen marketed for "infants"

Used to temporarily reduce fever and relieve minor aches and pains due to the common cold, flu, headache, minor sore throat, and toothache.
Acetaminophen is marketed under brand names such as Tylenol, Little Fevers, Triaminic, Infant/Pain Reliever, Pedia Care, Triaminic Infants Syrup Fever Reducer Pain Reliever and other store brands (e.g., Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens brand, etc.).
Consult your physician to dose for children under 2.

In addition to this change in concentration, this product may also be packaged with an oral syringe instead of a dropper.

To avoid confusion and the potential for dosing errors, consumers, parents, and caregivers should carefully read the Drug Facts label on the package to identify the concentration of the liquid acetaminophen (in mg/mL), dosage, and directions for use. Do not depend on banners stating it is a new product to identify different concentrations of liquid acetaminophen. Many products have similar banners.

It is also important to use the dosing device provided with the product in order to correctly measure the amount of liquid acetaminophen to be given. Patients and caregivers should contact their healthcare professional if they find the measuring device confusing or are unsure how to measure a dose for a child using the device provided.

Healthcare professionals should make sure to provide directions to patients that specify the concentration and dose of liquid acetaminophen that should be given to a child.

Infant Acetaminophen containers

Figure. Both boxes in this example say "New" on the front, but only one of them contains the new concentration of liquid acetaminophen. Always read the Drug Facts label and dosing instructions and use the measuring device that came with the product.

FDA has prepared a list of questions and answers and has issued a Consumer Update to provide an additional overview of these changes to OTC liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants.

Additional Information for Consumers and Parents/Caregivers

Parents and caregivers should always read the Drug Facts label on the package for the correct dosing, concentration, and directions for use.
If the dosing instructions provided by a healthcare provider differ from what is on the label, parents and caregivers should check with a healthcare professional before administering the medication.
The 160 mg/5 mL liquid acetaminophen marketed for infants may be packaged with an oral syringe instead of a dropper. Parents and caregivers should only use the device provided with the product purchased to measure the drug. Do not mix and match dosing devices.
Parents and caregivers should check with a healthcare professional if they have any questions about the concentration of liquid acetaminophen they have, dosing directions, or how to measure a dose using the dosing device provided with the product.
Consumers should report side effects or medication errors from the use of OTC acetaminophen products to the FDA MedWatch program using the information in the "Contact Us" box at the bottom of this page.

Additional Information for Healthcare Professionals

Another concentration (160 mg/5 ml) of liquid acetaminophen marketed for "infants" is now available in stores. This product is less concentrated than other liquid acetaminophen products marketed for infants. The other products currently available are in 80 mg/0.8 mL and 80 mg/1 mL concentrations.
Healthcare professionals should use their clinical judgment to recommend the most appropriate liquid acetaminophen product for children under the age of 12, and they should counsel caregivers on product differences.
The 160 mg/5 mL acetaminophen marketed for infants may be packaged with an oral syringe instead of a dropper. It is important to use only the dosing device provided with the product. Do not mix and match dosing devices.
The concentration of liquid acetaminophen should be included on a prescription because multiple products with different concentrations are available.
Healthcare professionals should report adverse events or medication errors involving OTC infant acetaminophen products to the FDA MedWatch program using the information in the "Contact Us" box at the bottom of this page.

Additional Background Information

On June 29-30, 2009, a joint meeting of the FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee, Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee, and the Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee discussed the issue of over-the-counter (OTC) liquid acetaminophen (for complete safety reviews and background information discussed at this meeting, see the June 29-30, 2009 AC meeting material). A recommendation was made during this meeting to have only one concentration of pediatric liquid acetaminophen available OTC because products with different concentrations can cause dosing confusion among parents and caregivers that may lead to unintentional overdoses in pediatric patients.

Due to dosing errors t hat occurred with the concentrated acetaminophen formulation (80 mg/0.8 mL or 80 mg/mL), some manufacturers decided to voluntarily change their liquid acetaminophen products marketed for "infants" to the same concentration (160 mg/5 mL) of liquid acetaminophen products labeled for children. However, since this change is voluntary, products with the old concentration of acetaminophen marketed for infants are still available in stores and in medicine cabinets (see Table 1 below). The availability of infant acetaminophen 160mg/5mL began earlier this year.

Table 1. OTC Liquid Acetaminophen Concentration marketed for infants

Available in the Past Currently Available
80 mg/0.8 mL
(dropper) 80 mg/0.8 mL
(dropper)
80 mg/mL
(dropper) 80 mg/mL
(dropper)
160 mg/5 mL
(oral syringe)

Tylenol Lawyers accepting cases for liver damage from Tylenol overdose.

US Senators Demand More FDA Oversight On Depuy Hip Replacement

by Brian Devine on December 18, 2011

Following the massive DePuy hip replacement recall, Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) have introduced legislation to help protect patients from being exposed to dangerous medical devices and to ensure that recalls are conducted promptly when a company learns that a device is defective.

This bipartisan bill authorizes the FDA to require post-market clinical studies for medical devices such as hip implants, that could have serious safety risks. The bill also gives the FDA the ability to require manufacturers to conduct safety studies after a device is approved through the expedited 510(k) process, the regulatory loophole that allowed the DePuy ASR to be sold in the United States.

“This reform legislation should be part of the reauthorization of the medical device user fee law next year,” Grassley said. “The reforms incorporate well-founded recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and reflect the value of having a robust post-market surveillance operation in the FDA. Important information can be learned about product safety after a device is on the market, and when there are problems, the sooner the response, the better.”

“Unsafe medical devices pose severe dangers to patients and impede approval of new, safe devices – causing significant costs to our economy as well as health,” said Blumenthal. “This bill will help protect people from dangerous unsafe medical devices by demanding more consumer safeguards, improving recall management, avoiding costly recalls, and preventing irreversible injury to patients. By removing unsafe devices from the market more quickly and efficiently, we’re preserving a faster approval track for safe and effective products to reach patients.”

“Faulty medical devices, especially those implanted in the body, can have disastrous health impacts on patients,” Kohl said. “This legislation will help ensure that FDA can act quickly and decisively when there’s a problem, and that the drive toward getting new technologies to market won’t come at the risk of patient safety.”

The three Senators also sent investigative letters to five companies, including Johnson & Johnson / DePuy. The Senators have requested details about DePuy’s post-market surveilance of the ASR implant, and how and when it decided to recall the ASR from the market. The letter said:

As the Special Committee on Aging’s recent oversight hearing detailed, effective post-marketing surveillance practices allow companies to recognize problems with medical devices in a timely fashion, preventing expensive recalls later, and can also save lives and prevent unnecessary suffering.

FREE LEGAL SHIELD LAWYERS FOR DEPUY HIP IMPLANT RECALL INJURIES

Lawyers for the Depuy Hip Replacement are currently representing people nationwide who have had a DePuy ASR hip implant or a metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implant that failed. If you or a loved one suffered an injury caused by a metal-on-metal hip implant, call 1 800 733-5342 innediatley to recover damages in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the Depuy.