Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer

SJS, TENS and EM

Greg Jones — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:56:00 GMT

As with all illnesses, skin diseases can often be hard to diagnose. This article will help distinguish between three often confused disorders: Erythyma Multiforme (EM), Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

Erythyma multiforme often occurs as a result of an allergic reaction or infection. It’s fairly common, and mostly affects people between 20 and 40 years of age. EM appears as a rash. The rash looks like several pink/red blotches, each one symmetrical is shape, usually on extremities such as hands. The individual blotches consist of a white center surround by a red ring. Irritation will cause the rash to spread. Fortunately, the rash is ‘self limiting,’ which means that it will eventually disappear by itself.

The most serious form of EM is possibly related to and often confused with Stevens Johnson Syndrome. SJS is also a reaction to medication or infection, but its consequences are generally more serious than those of EM. SJS first manifests itself with flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, sore throat, and fever. A painful purple/red rash follows, causing the top layer of the patient’s skin to blister and then fall off. Anyone suffering from SJS should be immediately taken to the hospital, where they will be taken off of all previous medications and receive similar treatment to burn victims. The best method of physical therapy and treatment is still under contention.

Most dangerous of the three disorders is Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. As with the other two, TEN often stems from adverse drug reactions. After 1-2 weeks of fever, the patient will develop a warm, red rash over large swaths of their body. The most strongly affected areas are the mouth, which can develop blisters that make it difficult to eat, the eyes, which can become swollen, crusted, and blind, and the vagina. Eventually the patient’s skin will fall off in large pieces. Diagnosis is often difficult, and treatment, which includes several different levels of intensity based on the progression of the disorder, is far from foolproof; TEN has a mortality rate of 30-40%.

Before you get too concerned, remember that all three of these disorders are rare – TEN affects approximately only 1 out of every million cases per year. Just keep an eye out, and if you develop any of the symptoms be sure to contact your doctor right away.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Yaz, Yasmin and significant health risks

Greg Jones — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:54:54 GMT

If you ever watch TV, then you've probably seen at least one commercial for Yaz, a birth control pill that boasts the unique side effect of alleviating the symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). PMDD is a medical condition that is similar to Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), but the difference is that the symptoms of PMDD are severe enough to affect your daily life.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Yaz and its sister Yasmin, have marketed these products as being the solution to PMDD (as well as moderate acne) because of a chemical called drospirenone. Drospirenone is a type of hormone that Bayer uses in its birth control to help reduce bloating and alleviate the symptoms of PMDD.

Unfortunately, drospirenone also causes dehydration, which, in certain women, can have dangerous health effects. Allegedly, as a result of the drospirenone in Yaz and Yasmin, many women (of all ages and walks of life) have suffered from blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks, some of which have been fatal. Many of the victims had no pre-existing heart conditions, and some were as young as 16 years old.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the FDA hasn't approved the use of these birth control pills as cures for either PMDD or acne. This is dangerous marketing that lures girls and women into buying a product that could easily kill them.

If you know a woman who is using Yaz or Yasmin, for whatever reason, make sure she knows the risks involved, and has talked to her doctor about other options that are available to her.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Why Should I Be in a Hurry to File my Workers' Comp Claim?

Greg Jones — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:54:04 GMT

Filing early is the best way to not only protect your worker’s compensation claim. It is also the best way to get your claim accepted. Insurance companies are wary of almost every claim. Delay in telling your employer or delay in filing your claim does nothing but make them more wary and they will then look for ways to deny your claim. Many states also have several filing deadlines. If you miss those deadlines you can compromise your ability to make a claim at all. The tricky part is that most people don’t know the deadlines or rules of worker’s compensation. The good news is your lawyer will. A good and experienced practitioner can save you from filing deadlines and unreasonably denied claims. Call one now.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

FDA Starts Safety Review Of Weight Loss Drug Meridia

Greg Jones — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:25:09 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun an expedited safety review of sibutramine based on a recent study showing that some patients have a higher rate of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events after taking the weight loss drug. Abbott Laboratories markets sibutramine as the popular weight loss drug Meridia.

Although the FDA has not made any conclusions, it is studying the initial data from a six-year study referred to a s the SCOUT study which examined the effects of the drug on overweight or obese subjects at risk of a cardiovascular event.

The SCOUT study results demonstrate the need for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias or stroke to avoid using sibutramine or Meridia.

The SCOUT data looked at roughly 10,000 patients who were at least 55, overweight or obese and had a history or heart disease or type 2 diabetes as well as at least one other cardiovascular risk factor. The study did not include those who had recently suffered a heart attack or stroke. The study was designed to demonstrate that weight loss achieved through sibutramine and "standard care" lowered the number of cardiovascular events more effectively than weight loss reached through a placebo and standard care.

The FDA said it "understands the serious nature of the preliminary data" and vowed to share its conclusions with the public as soon as it finishes its expedited safety review.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Jury tags Pfizer another $28M In Punitive Damages For Prempro

Greg Jones — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:11:11 GMT

Three days after awarding $6.3 million in compensation, a Pennsylvania jury determined Pfizer Inc. will have to pay $28 million in punitive damages to a 66-year-old Donna Kendall claiming that the menopause drugs Prempro and Provera caused her breast cancer.

Kendall took the hormone replacement drugs between 1991 and 2002. Ms. Kendall was diagnosed with breast cancer that would lead to her double mastectomy.

Pfizer said it would appeal the Kendall verdict as well as a jury verdict in the same court ordering the company to fork over $75 million in punitive damages to bellwether plaintiff Connie Barton.

Wyeth, meanwhile, is also one of several defendants named in multidistrict litigation over Prempro. Other defendants named in the MDL include Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc., Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Ortho-McNeil Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.

In that case, the plaintiffs claim that the drug company defendant, convinced doctors and the public that menopause was a chronic disease that required hormone drug treatment by an agressive and lengthy marketing campaign.

In cases like these, the jury send s a message that not only sure Pfizer and other companies not only compensate victims but should be punished by large punitive damages for ignoring the public health consequences in lieu of profits.

Members of the jury said after the trial that the evidence showed Pfizer units Wyeth and Pharmacia & Upjohn dismissed opinions that their hormone replacement drugs cause cancer, according to the Plaintiff's lawyer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Pfizer Popped With $6.3M Prempro Verdict

Greg Jones — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:14:33 GMT

A Pennsylvania jury has ruled that two Pfizer Inc. units areliable for at least $6.3 million in compensatory damages to an Illinois woman who developed breast cancer after she began taking the menopause drugs Prempro and Provera. The jury has yet to decide on punitive damages.

On Friday, that the jury in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas had issued the verdict after finding that the combination of Wyeth’s Prempro and Pharmacia & Upjohn’s Provera substantially contributed to 66-year-old plaintiff Donna Kendall’s breast cancer.

Kendall, whose case is one of about 1,500 Prempro lawsuits pending in Philadelphia, took the hormone-replacement drugs for 11 years.

Wyeth and Upjohn have prevailed in the "vast majority" of hormone therapy cases set for trial.

Earlier in November, a jury in the same court ordered Pfizer to fork over $75 million in punitive damages to bellwether plaintiff Connie Barton, who developed invasive breast cancer after she began taking Prempro. The same jury had previously awarded Barton $3.7 million in compensatory damages.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

The Great Insurance Lie?

Greg Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:46:29 GMT

Have a worker’s compensation case? Let me guess, the adjuster has told you there is no reason to hire a lawyer because worker’s comp benefits are limited and you’ll only end up getting the same settlement and you’ll have to give part of it to a lawyer…why not keep it all? This is the Great Lie.

It is true; worker’s comp benefits are limited. For example, many states, North Carolina included, don’t pay for pain and suffering or other types of collateral damages. What is not true is that you’ll get the same settlement in every case. There are many different ways to value a case depending on the severity of the injury and possible length of disability. I can assure you (after having worked for the insurance companies for years) that the adjuster will offer you the LOWEST value and say that is all you’re entitled to. Her tag line will be "You can either take this amount now, or you can take it later minus what you have to pay your lawyer." If that were true, why would she care if you were going to hire a lawyer? Why even bring it up? She was going to pay the same amount no matter what, right?

Not right. If someone tells you not to do something, it should spark your thought and make you say "why doesn’t she want me to contact a lawyer?" The most probable reason isn’t that she cares about you and just wants you to have all the money. It is more likely that she’s trying to low ball your settlement and hopes you’ll believe that Great Insurance Lie.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

2 NC judges nominated to fill vacancies on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Greg Jones — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:51:09 GMT

President Obama has nominated two North Carolina judges to fill vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Wednesday, Obama nominated Judges Albert Diaz and James Wynn to fill seats in the appeals court.

Diaz currently serves as a special superior court judge for complex business cases commonly reffered as "Business Court". Wynn is currently on the the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

In 2001, Diaz became the first Latino to take the bench in the North Carolina Superior Court.

Wynn chairs the ABA's Judicial Division.

According to Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., since 1801, only six North Carolinians have served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Currently, Judge Allyson Duncan is the only judge from North Carolina sitting on the court.

I have had the pleasure to know Judge Wynn for quite some time through the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Recently I appeared before Judge Diaz on a very complex securites matter. Both are fine jurists and a credit to the North Carolina Judicial System.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

FDA Issues Warning Over Diabetes Drug Byetta

Greg Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:03:34 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about possible kidney problems associated with the use of Byetta, a diabetes drug marketed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. Byetta, known generically as exenatide, is used in patients with type 2 diabetes to lower blood sugar levels without the use of insulin, according to the manufacturer. The drug is supposed to imitate the effects of a human hormone and improves blood sugar levels by several mechanisms that work in concert on the stomach, liver, pancreas and brain.

The FDA received 78 reports of kidney problems in patients using Byetta from April 2005 through October 2008, in Tuesday's warning.

Byetta's most common side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which may have contributed to the kidney problems reported. Kidney malfunction can lead to serious or life-threatening illness, according to the FDA.

This is not the first warning issued concerning Byetta. In August 2008, the FDA issued warnings after it received reports of two deaths and six cases of severe pancreatitis.

Byetta should be promptly discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected, the warning said.

Our law firm encourages anyone taking Byetta and experiencing any of the symptoms listed above to check with their doctor. Simple tests may be able to detect if any problems exist. We have been investigating Byetta cases for over a year and continue to review possible cases.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Obtaining a Rental Car after an Accident

Greg Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:53:47 GMT

Clients often come to our office because they are upset the insurance company for the at-fault driver will not rent a car for them after their car is damaged in an accident. They oftentimes ask if the insurance company is required to provide them with a rental car. They are often surprised at my response.

My clients are often surprised to find out the insurance company does not have a legal obligation to do anything for the accident victim. Their obligation is to the person they insure, not to the injured party. However, since the accident victim has a right to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for the loss of use of their vehicle, the insurance carrier can usually be convinced to provide a rental car once they have completed their investigation. The adjuster handling the claim will have instructions to complete a list of tasks comprising their investigation of the claim regardless of how clear cut fault seems to be. We can assist the adjuster in completing this investigation in an effort to speed things along.

In addition, our client has the option of renting a car on their own. Oftentimes the insurance adjuster will agree to "take over" the rental once they have completed their investigation and our client will not be charged for the rental car at all. However, sometimes the insurance carrier will refuse to do anything more than reimburse the claimant for a rental car if they rent on their own. Unfortunately, insurance carriers have every right to take this position.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones