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According to CNN.com, surgical clips made by Teleflex may have played a role in a number of kidney donor deaths. Teleflex sent a warning letter, in some cases several, to hospitals in 2006 letting them know that the clips were not safe to use in laparoscopic kidney donor surgeries. Yet in the wake of five related fatalities since 2001, questions are being raised as to whether the warnings they received were enough. 12 others have suffered injuries.

In Massachusetts, our Boston injury lawyers represent victims and their families with cases against the manufacturers of unsafe products. We also handle medical malpractice cases.

While kidney donor surgery is generally considered safe, using these surgical clips can up the risk of serious health complications. The surgical clips are used to close up the artery, which needs to be cut in order to remove the kidney from the donor, so that the patient doesn’t bleed out. (Staples can also be used to close the artery.) Unfortunately, these clips can slip off, which can cause the patient to bleed to death.

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The Consumer Products Safety Commission recently announced the recalls of a number of products over concern that they may pose a fire hazard:

• Approximately 99,700 outdoor wall mount lanterns: These products were imported by Bel Air Lighting Inc. and made by manufacturers in China. The lanterns’ internal wiring may experience an electrical short circuit, which creates the risk of Boston burn injuries, electrical shock, and fires. Bel Air Lighting has received two reports of lanterns catching fire. So far, no injuries have been reported.

• About 53,000 air movers made by EDIC: A fire can start if the air mover’s electrical capacitor should falter and overheat. There have been four fires that caused property damage reported.

• Approximately 70,500 portable ceramic space heaters imported by Big Lots: An electrical shock or fire hazard can occur if a heater were to melt and overheat. While Big Lots has received a few reports of space heaters melting and overheating, no injuries or fires have been reported.

• 185 Frigidaire Self-Clean Gas Ranges: A fire hazard can be triggered if the bake/broil oven features experience a delayed ignition.

Our Boston burn injury attorneys are familiar with the pain and suffering experienced by victims of fires or other accidents. In addition to severe physical injuries can leave lasting emotional and psychological scars even after extensive and costly treatment, the life of someone who has suffered severe burns may be permanently altered. Many victims are left disfigured or disabled and unable to work or live a “normal” life. The lives of loved ones can also be severely affected as a result.

Consumer Product Safety Commission

More Blog Posts:
Explosions and fire ravage Winthrop home, injuring family & damaging house, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 23, 2012
Elderly Somerville Woman Dies After Clothes Ignite in Massachusetts Kitchen Fire, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 19, 2012
Products Liability: Massachusetts Manufacturer One of Several Companies to Issue May Recalls to Prevent Child Injuries, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, May 28, 2012 Continue reading

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Our Boston injury lawyers are offering free case assessments to women in Massachusetts who believe that they may have developed serious complications from taking Yasmin, YAZ, or Ocella birth control pills. These contraceptives all contain the progestin drospirenone, which has been linked to venous thromboembolic events, including heart attack, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke (CVA). Yasmin and YAZ are made by Bayer AG. Ocella, which is Yasmin’s generic version, is distributed by Barr Laboratories.

As you can imagine, these are serious health complications to have from taking oral contraceptives that also have been used to treat moderate acne, menopause, and osteoporosis. Yet as of the April, Bayer AG had already paid $142 million to women contending that Yasmin or YAZ had caused their blood clots, which can lead to some of these more serious health complications and even death.

However, if JP Morgan Chase & Co. analyst Richard Vosser is to be believed (per Bloomberg.com, he thinks that Bayer may end up paying over $2.65 billion dollars to resolve all its YAZ and Yasmin lawsuits), the 500 dangerous drug lawsuits involving venous clot injuries that have already been settled do not comprise even half of the cases that will have to be resolved. (There have also been women who have stepped forward contending that Yasmin and YAZ can cause gallbladder damage and/or gall stones. Bayer is rejecting these claims.)

In April, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered Bayer and the makers of other birth control pills containing drospirenone to strengthen their warning that these oral contraceptions cause blood clots. Researchers have said that drospirenone may up the risks of clots by three times.

Bayer Yasmin Lawsuit Settlements Climb To $142 Million, Bloomberg, April 26, 2012

FDA Drug Safety Communication: Updated information about the risk of blood clots in women taking birth control pills containing drospirenone, FDA, April 10, 2012


More Blog Posts:
Boston Products Liability: Yaz Birth Control Pill May Cause Serious Side Effects and Health Complications, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 12, 2012

New FDA Report Suggests Exercising Caution About Using Fosamax Long-Term, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, May 11, 2012

Pradaxa Lawsuit Claims Drug’s Side Effects Caused Woman to Bleed to Death, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 30, 2012 Continue reading

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Stephen Krahlin and Joan Wlochowski, two ex-Merck virologists, have filed a whistleblower complaint against their former employer. They are claiming that Merck committed fraud against the federal government by overstating the effectiveness of its MMR vaccine. As a result, they contend, the government ended up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on about four million doses of the vaccine, used against mumps, measles, and rubella, that were, in fact, mislabeled and misbranded and not as effective as touted.

According to their Qui tam action, rather than rework the vaccine to make it more effective, Merck decided to revise its testing technique to get the desired results. The vaccine manufacturer began manipulating its clinical lab trials of the MMR-11 vaccine as early as the late 1990’s so that it could retain its monopoly as the manufacturer and seller. (In order to do this, the vaccine had to test as 95% effective.) The whistleblowers claim that they were asked to participate in Protocol 007, which is the name of this modified testing. Meantime, millions of children ended up not getting the full immunization they required.

Massachusetts Whistleblower Lawsuits
In Massachusetts, our Boston injury lawyers also represent whistleblowers with Qui tam clams filed on behalf of the government. Our Massachusetts whistleblower attorneys understand that stepping forward to expose fraud against the state or the federal government takes a lot of bravery and we are dedicated to protecting our clients’ rights and making sure they aren’t retaliated against. We have the experience, skills, and resources to take care of our whistleblower clients’ lawsuits from the beginning until its resolution.

Class Says Merck Lied About Mumps Vaccine, Courthouse News, June 27, 2012

Merck Whistleblower Suit A Boon to Vaccine Foes Even As It Stresses Importance of Vaccines, Forbes, June 27, 2012

More Blog Posts:
Whistleblower Accuses Planned Parenthood Affiliate of Submitting $5.7M in Fraudulent Medicaid Claims, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, May 31, 2012

WellCare Health Plans Settles Whistleblower Lawsuits in Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Case for $137.5 Million, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 2, 2012
Qui Tam Cases Result in $2.B Recovered in 2011, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 4, 2012 Continue reading

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Three pit bull terriers have been placed under quarantine after a Pittsfield, Massachusetts dog attack that sent a 9-year-old boy to the hospital. Perrin and his mother Jessyca Petell were entering their multi-family residence on Monday night when the dogs ran at him in a common area. The pit bulls belong to another resident.

Perrin sustained 35 nail and teeth puncture wounds to his face, head, and arms, and a portion of his scalp (about 3-inches by 3-inches in size) was torn off. Per state law, Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn declared the dogs vicious and said they must be “disposed of.” The pit bulls’ owner has 10 days to appeal.

Massachusetts Dog Attacks

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According to a recent study from the Urban Land Institute, an increase in the number of riders and construction projects around existing transit stations could overwhelm the system. The Boston branch of the nonprofit-a leading land-use think tank-has warned that ridership could increase 20 percent by the end of the decade. The estimate is supported by recent figures which highlight a trend of continued growth in the number of MBTA passengers. There were about 390 million transit trips in Greater Boston last year-the most since 1946.

The implications of this trend are worrisome. Aside from limiting future development in the region and slowing the economy, overcrowded public transit could pose more serious safety concerns. Overcrowding, without the relief of more subway cars, better power and signal systems, and other necessary measures, could increase the risk of accidents or injuries occurring. According to the report, issues such as delays and bottlenecks are especially likely in “hot spots” where ridership is highest.
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The Estate of John B. Satiro is claiming that Massachusetts nursing home negligence contributed to his Williamstown wrongful death. Satiro passed away after getting hurt in a fall accident while staying at the Sweet Brook Transitional Care and Living Center.

According to the lawsuit, Satiro fell when he was dropped from a hoyer lift by nursing home staff that were trying to transfer him. He sustained “extensive leg wounds” and died.

The complaint contends that the Williamstown nursing home was negligent in the care it provided Satiro due to their failure to create a safe environment for him or ensure that the assisted living facility did not violate safety rules, procedures, policies, doctors orders, care plans, and federal and state regulations. As a result, claims his estate, Satiro was living in a facility where not only did these violations place him at risk of sustaining injury but he actually did get hurt.

The Berkshire County, MA nursing home negligence lawsuit points to an alleged pattern of nursing deficiencies involving inadequate quality of care, the failure to create an environment that is free of accident hazards, and not doing enough to make sure that each patient was properly supervised and received the help that he/she needed.

Massachusetts Nursing Home Falls
With so many sick and elderly patients prone to being involved in and getting seriously hurt in a Massachusetts fall accident, it is the responsibility of nursing homes to make sure that any dangers that could increase the chance of a fall are eliminated. This includes getting rid of step/trip/slip and fall hazards to prevent Boston slip and fall accidents and making sure that resident who need help walking or transferring from a bed to a wheelchair of bathtub are supported by experienced staff. For example, there may be certain lift devices that can only be operated safely when more than one nursing home worker is present. There are also proper safety procedures for transferring patients, even if it is just from a wheelchair to his/her bed. Bed rails, handrails on walls, and rails in the shower are also helpful to have in an assisted living facility to decrease the chance of a Boston nursing home fall.

Boston Globe Reports that Many US Nursing Homes are Wrongly Prescribing Antipsychotic Medications to Residents, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 29, 2012
Fighting Massachusetts Nursing Home Negligence: Patient Advocates Want the State to Only Allow Properly Trained Facilities to Provide Care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 11, 2012

Proactively Choosing the Right Assisted Living Facility for Your Loved One Can Decrease The Chances of Boston Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, November 28, 2011 Continue reading

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Raphael Perez, 18, drowned in a pond in Myles Standish State Forest last night. At the time, the Brockton teen was on a camping trip with a Seventh-day Adventist church from Fall River.

According to State Police, Perez became “distressed” during his swim in Charge Pond. He was pulled out of the water after the Plymouth, Massachusetts drowning accident and CPR was performed on him. The teen was then taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Perez’s sister, Monica Perez, said that brother drowned while helping another struggling swimmer. Monica was not at the pond that night. The district attorney’s office is investigating the Plymouth drowning accident.

Myles Standish is supervised by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. According to a department spokesperson, boating and swimming are allowed in Charge Pond between dawn and dusk, there are no lifeguards (signs are posted to indicate this), and there is a demarcated swimming area.

Drowning Accidents
Massachusetts drowning accidents can happen in pools, hot tubs, and in natural bodies of water. As our Boston injury lawyers have said in the past, it is important that the necessary care is exercised by those in charge of a swimming area to prevent or decrease the risk of a drowning.

Obviously it is too soon to tell what happened at Charge Lake last night or if anyone should be held liable. For example, did the state do enough to exercise this type of are? How many fatal drownings have occurred there in the past? Could something have been done to prevent Perez’s drowning? Should the church group that he had gone camping with have done more to properly supervise the participants?

Brockton teen who drowned in Plymouth pond remembered by sister as sociable, Boston.com, June 9, 2012

Sister says Mass. drowning victim put others first, WCVB, June 9, 2012

Myles Standish State Forest

More Blog Posts:
Toddler Found Dead After Drowning, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, May 31, 2012

Massachusetts Swimming Pool Death: State Report Released on Woman’s Fatal Fall River Drowning, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 20, 2012

Boy Dies Following Shrewsbury Drowning Accident at Summer Camp, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, July 29, 2011 Continue reading

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Johnson & Johnson has sent a letter to judges in West Virginia and New Jersey letting them know that it intends to stop selling the surgical mesh implants. However, J & J maintains that this decision is a result of “changing market dynamics” rather than “safety or efficacy” and that that the implants are safe for use. The manufacturer has been named in hundreds of products liability lawsuits by women claiming personal injuries.

In Massachusetts, our Boston injury lawyers are continuing to offer free case evaluations to women who have suffered serious injuries and other health complications after being implanted with a vaginal mesh device. Contact Altman & Altman LLP to ask for your free case evaluation.

It is J & J’s Ethicon division that will be discontinuing the sale of four kinds of mesh implants that are generally used to treat urinary incontinence:

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On the one-year anniversary of the tornadoes that ripped through a 39-mile track of western Massachusetts-residents of Springfield say that their city, the third-largest in the state-is still feeling the effects of the damage. The disaster killed four and injured many others, but its physical effects have affected residents indiscriminately by bringing down

The tornado left significant damage in a number of towns and cities across Western Mass., but Springfield, its residents note, is not recovering as well as some of the more suburban towns. Housing specialists say that this is particularly true for its lower-income neighborhoods as they are unable to provide the funds necessary for rebuilding. Many were already abandoned before the tornado struck, which has only exacerbated the problem as it has rendered many areas virtually abandoned.

According to the Boston Globe, the tornado was the most destructive to hit New England in 60 years. Although there is government aid being provided to the areas affected by the disaster, much of it has been slow to come in. Residents of Springfield now say that this has left abandoned areas prone to an increasing number of risks, such as drug dealers, vandals and other types of crime. Others have also noted that there are potentially dangerous consequences if they are not properly demolished, such as homes that may fall and damage the neighboring properties. Each house costs between $30,000 and 35,000 just to tear down, which has resulted in a gridlock between aid agencies over the payment of these bills.
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