Hurt by a dangerous drug or medical device in Huntsville?
Prescription medications and medical devices such as pacemakers and artificial hips should help us regain good health. But some medical products and medications are placed on the market without adequate clinical testing and may have severe side effects that can harm consumers. Every year, thousands of patients are seriously injured or killed by side effects of defective drugs and dangerous medical devices.
The legal team of Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., is dedicated to holding the makers of unsafe medical devices and prescription drugs responsible for the harm they cause. If you took a prescription drug or used a medical device that was supposed to heal you, but instead caused you harm, you may have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses. To learn whether you are eligible to seek compensation, contact our attorneys today for a free case review.
We help clients with personal injury cases in Huntsville and throughout Alabama.
Our attorneys will answer your questions and discuss whether you are eligible to file an injury claim against the maker of a dangerous drug or device.
Our product liability attorneys at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., have been recognized by other lawyers and legal publications for providing outstanding legal representation. Our trial lawyers are currently investigating injuries and illnesses involving the following medical devices and medical products:
Transvaginal Mesh
Transvaginal mesh is a surgical mesh that is used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence in women. The mesh is placed through the vagina and implanted to create a bladder sling or pelvic sling, or used to reinforce the wall of the vagina. Unfortunately, the product design and implantation technique have contributed to many women having serious complications, such as organ perforation and erosion.
The FDA has issued a safety bulletin warning doctors and patients that the placement of transvaginal mesh may present a greater risk for the patient than other non-mesh procedures. The FDA stated that complications from the implantation of transvaginal mesh include erosion of the mesh into the vaginal tissue, organ perforation, pain, infection, painful intercourse, and incontinence.
Additional surgical procedures, blood transfusions, and other treatments may be necessary to treat these complications, which can cause excruciating pain with normal activities such as sitting down, walking, and having intercourse. In certain cases, this can require multiple procedures without successfully removing all the mesh.
At the Huntsville, Alabama law offices of Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., our pharmaceutical lawyers protect the rights of patients who have suffered injuries from the use of transvaginal mesh and other dangerous medical products.
If you or a loved one has suffered complications from the use of transvaginal mesh, we will evaluate your situation to determine if there is a claim against the manufacturer. For a free initial consultation, contact us today.
Hernia Mesh
Hernia mesh is implanted during hernia repair surgery to strengthen weakened abdominal tissue and prevent the recurrence of a hernia. Many surgeons use hernia mesh in laparoscopic hernia repair surgery and in open surgery. Some types of hernia mesh have defective designs and have caused serious complications in patients. The complications include infection, pain, unintended attachment to internal organs, organ perforation, bowel blockages, and the development of another hernia. If you have had serious complications after undergoing hernia repair surgery involving the use of defective hernia mesh, you may have a legal right to seek compensation for your medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering related to the defective medical device.
Ethicon Physiomesh™
Physiomesh™ Flexible Composite Mesh (for laparoscopic use), a brand of hernia mesh, was withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer, Ethicon Inc., in 2016 because patients experienced high rates of complications. In announcing the worldwide withdrawal of the defective hernia mesh, Ethicon, Inc. said that a review of data from two European hernia patient registries indicated that patients who received Physiomesh™ Flexible Composite Mesh had unreasonably high rates of complications requiring follow-up surgeries. Even though the product has been withdrawn, thousands of patients who underwent hernia surgery using Physiomesh™ Flexible Composite Mesh still have this type of mesh implanted in their bodies and may develop serious complications if the mesh fails. If you are injured by defective hernia mesh, you may file a hernia mesh lawsuit to hold the manufacturer accountable for your injuries.
DePuy ASR Hip Replacement Systems
DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary and maker of the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) artificial hip, recalled the device in 2010 when it was revealed that the device failed at a rate significantly higher than the industry average. DePuy acknowledged in 2011 that the ASR would fail within five years in 40 percent of recipients.A metal-on-metal hip replacement system, the ASR is known to shed metallic debris that damages tissue, often necessitating a follow-up hip replacement surgery. It was implanted in around 93,000 patients worldwide and around 30,000 in the United States. DePuy faces some 12,000 U.S. lawsuits related to the faulty ASR system, which has two configurations:
- ASR Hip Resurfacing System
- ASR XL Acetabular System
If you received either of these systems, you may already have been contacted by DePuy/Johnson & Johnson. Before you sign any papers that may diminish your ability to receive full compensation for your losses, be sure to speak with a Huntsville personal injury lawyer at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C.
Stryker Hip Devices
Stryker® Orthopaedics has voluntarily recalled its Rejuvenate modular and ABG II modular stem and hip implants. The recall was posted on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website on July 6, 2012. The implants were recalled in Canada earlier in 2012. The devices targeted by this recall are:
- Rejuvenate Modular Hip System
- ABG II Modular Stems and ABG II Necks.
Stryker indicates that fretting and corrosion can occur within the devices, leading to adverse tissue reactions and pain and swelling in some recipients. Some recipients may experience the dangerous effects of metallosis, a buildup of metal debris in the body’s soft tissues. Hospitalization and painful corrective surgeries are sometimes necessary to alleviate pain and swelling caused by the affected Stryker implants.
You can verify the model of the hip implant that you received through a review of your medical records, a conversation with your surgeon, or by calling our office for a free consultation.
Granuflo
Granuflo and Naturalyte, manufactured by Fresenius Medical Care, are products used by patients undergoing kidney dialysis treatment. Both products were recalled in March 2012 due to their link to metabolic alkalosis, a condition that can cause hypoxemia, cardiac arrhythmia, and hypokalemia. These conditions can ultimately lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death. Prior to the recall, Fresenius sent a memo to doctors in its own dialysis centers warning of the increased risk of cardiac arrest in Granuflo patients. The company failed to notify other dialysis centers. According to the New York Times, Fresenius treats more than one-third of America’s 400,000 dialysis patients. It is estimated that 125,000 patients received Granuflo in non-Fresenius clinics.
The recalled Granuflo and Naturalyte concentrates were available from January 2008 through June 2012. If you took one of these products during this time and experienced a heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular problems, or if a loved one suddenly died while taking Granuflo, contact our pharmaceutical lawyers to discuss your case.
Zofran
Zofran, which is also known as ondansetron, is approved to treat nausea and vomiting in cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. Many doctors also have prescribed Zofran, also known as ondansetron, to treat morning sickness in pregnant women experiencing nausea and vomiting. That is an off-label use because the FDA never approved Zofran for that purpose. Medical studies have suggested that women who take Zofran have an increased risk of having babies with serious birth defects including heart defects and cleft palates. Hundreds of Zofran birth defects lawsuits have been filed against the drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline by women who took ondansetron during the first trimester of pregnancy. If you were prescribed Zofran during pregnancy and your baby was born suffering from a birth defect, you may be entitled to seek compensation from the drug manufacturer for the harm caused by the unsafe prescription drug. Let a prescription drug injury attorney at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., answer your questions and discuss your legal options.
Lipitor
Millions of patients have been prescribed the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor or its generic equivalent atorvastatin to reduce high cholesterol. But medical research has linked the use of higher doses of Lipitor to an elevated risk of Type 2 diabetes, particularly in older women. Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone needed to process the sugars found in foods. Thousands of patients who developed type 2 diabetes while taking Lipitor have sued Pfizer, Inc., claiming that they developed diabetes as a result of the medication. The lawsuits allege that Pfizer, Inc., the manufacturer, failed to warn doctors and consumers of the risk of developing diabetes from taking Lipitor.
Xarelto
Xarelto is a blood-thinner that is prescribed to people with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, and to patients receiving joint replacements. It is prescribed to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis and the formation of blood clots that can lead to strokes. Anyone who takes blood thinners is at risk of internal bleeding, and with Xarelto, there is no antidote. Many patients taking the blood thinner Xarelto have experienced serious side effects including uncontrolled internal bleeding. More than 10,000 pharmaceutical injury lawsuits involving Xarelto injuries have been consolidated under multidistrict litigation in the Eastern District of Louisiana for pre-trial proceedings. If you or a loved one has experienced internal bleeding while taking Xarelto, you may be entitled to file a Xarelto lawsuit and seek compensation.
Receive a Free Case Review from a Pharmaceutical Injury Attorney in Huntsville
When pharmaceutical manufacturers put unsafe products on the market that cause unintended side effects and serious harm to consumers, the manufacturers should be held accountable. Product liability cases are complicated cases and require experienced injury attorneys to handle them. The AV-rated law firm of Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., is dedicated to helping the victims of unsafe pharmaceuticals and medical devices seek compensation to move forward with their lives after a serious setback. Our track record of success includes over $30 Million dollars in settlements. To speak with one of our attorneys about your case free of charge, call us at 256-677-4376 or send us an online message.
