EL&C Trial Attorneys

Hot Topics in Personal Injury Law

It seems as if nearly every day a drug which we thought was safe is taken off the market due to undisclosed dangers. We see product recalls on everything from toy cars to real cars. Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy is committed to representing consumers and patients who have been injured by dangerous drugs, defective products, or negligence. Below, you will find a brief list of some of the topics we think you should be aware of.

FDA finds Zicam medications harmful

FDA Advises Consumers Not To Use Certain Zicam Cold Remedies –linked to loss of sense of smell

June 17, 2009: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers to stop using products sold over-the-counter as cold remedies because they are associated with the loss of sense of smell (anosmia). Anosmia may be long-lasting or permanent and may occur after only one application.
The agency has received more than 130 reports of loss of smell associated with the use of several Zicam products. The FDA reported in some cases, the loss of smell occurred after the first dose. This loss of sense of smell can limit a person’s ability to detect the smell of smoke, gas or other signed of danger. This loss of sense of smell can adversely affect a person’s quality of life.
Zicam lawyers at Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy are currently reviewing potential claims for individuals who may have suffered a permanent injury.
The Zicam products include: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (a discontinued product). These popular over the counter medications are aimed at reducing the severity and duration of the common cold. Scientists believe the nasal cold remedy contains zinc that could harm nasal nerves.
To view the warning letter click here. http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm166909.htm
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FDA Drug Safety Information: Information on Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size
FDA finds Zicam medications harmful

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FDA warns against the use of Enteryx®

If you or a loved one suffers from GERD and was treated with Enteryx to prevent reflux and suffered an adverse event or death from this drug contact Eichen Levinson for a free consultation. The FDA recently issued Public Health Notification about serious adverse events, including death, occurring with Enteryx.

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FOSAMAX® Warning: You May Deserve Compensation

FOSAMAX® is prescribed to treat osteoporosis and Paget's disease. It is manufactured by Merck & Co., and it has been on the market for many years. The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons established a connection between FOSAMAX® and other bisphosphonates and a serious bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). That caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Merck to issue a "Dear Doctor Letter" (a warning to health care professionals) on September 24, 2004. Patients suffering from osteonecrosis of the jaw experience decay or necrosis of bone tissue in the jaw after such procedures as tooth extractions. If you took FOSAMAX® and experienced osteonecrosis of the jaw, please contact us for a free evaluation of the facts of your case.

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Cerebral Palsy as the result of Medical Malpractice

Do you have a child with cerebral palsy? If you do, you are acutely aware of the immense responsibilities this has placed upon the life of every member of your family. Certainly, you are well educated in many features of the syndrome. If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, read more below and contact us for a free consultation.

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Smith & Nephew Oxinium Knee Replacement

Smith & Nephew, the medical products concern that lost out in the $3bn (£1.8bn) battle for Switzerland's Centerpulse, has suffered a further setback after deciding to withdraw a recently launched orthopedic implant from the US market. The Oxinium knee replacement became a widely used surgical component as knee replacement frequency increased. Smith & Nephew sent an alert to the US Food and Drug Administration in August 2003 after an Oxinium product defect was discovered, followed by a recall of their Oxinium products iUnited States. Approximately 1 in 4 Oxinium knee implants required revision surgery. If you or someone you know has had an Oxinium cementless knee replacement, please contact Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy about your case.

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ZYPREXA linked to Diabetes in Adolescents

In a November 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association, medical officers from the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and a Duke University Medical Center physician first reported a possible link between Zyprexa and hyperglycemia in adolescents. Lilly added Zyprexa warnings to its labeling regarding weight gain and the links made to diabetes. If you beieve you or a loved one has been affected by this product, please contact us to discuss your case.

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Guidant Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Guidant Corporation has recalled the following defibrillators because they can develop an internal short circuit without warning, resulting in failure to deliver a shock to the heart when needed.

• PRIZM® 2 DR, Model 1861, manufactured before April 16, 2002
• CONTAK RENEWAL®, Model H135, manufactured before August 26, 2004
• CONTAK RENEWAL® 2, Model H155, manufactured before August 26, 2004

If you or a loved one has been implanted with a defibrillator for abnormal heart rhythm and suffered an adverse event or death from the above devices, please contact us for a free consultation.

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Baxter Meridian® Hemodialyis Machine Recall

In 2005, Baxter Healthcare Corporation announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had classified a September 28, 2005 Urgent Product Recall letter from Baxter to customers regarding the company's Meridian® Hemodialyis (HD) Instrument (Product Codes 5M5576 and 5M5576R) as a Class I recall. The last Meridian was manufactured in 2002. Approximately 2,100 Meridian instruments are currently in use, including 1,700 in the United States. Read more below and contact us about your case.

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Menactra Meningitis Vaccine and Guillian-Barre Syndrome

The FDA and CDC are alerting health care providers and consumers about six reports of Guillain-Barre Syndrome following administration of Menactra, a Meningococcal vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. If your you or a loved one has suffered an adverse event such as numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hands, feet, and face or paralysis and the need for a ventilator from this vaccine contact Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy for a free consultation.

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Schering-Plough for Illegally Marketing Drugs Used to Treat Cancer

Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy is part of the legal team that has recently filed a nationwide consumer fraud class action against Schering-Plough, in connection with its illegal marketing of Temodar, Intron-A, PEG-Intron, the Intron Franchise, and Rebetol.

The lawsuit alleges that Schering engaged in a campaign of illegally marketing the drugs for uses that were not approved by the US Food & Drug Administration. As part of that illegal marketing campaign, the lawsuit alleges that Schering coordinated a campaign of bribery and kickbacks to doctors in order to induce them into prescribing those particular drugs even when not warranted, or at higher doses than necessary, or for longer periods than necessary.

If you are either a consumer who was prescribed or a health plan that has paid for the prescribing of any of the following Schering-Plough drugs, we would like to hear from you:

• Temodar
• Intron-A
• PEG-Intron
• Intron Franchise
• Rebetol

We would also like to hear from you are a consumer who was prescribed or a health plan that has paid for prescribing:

• Seroquel
• Risperdal

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Vytorin Class Action Suit

Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy is part of the steering committee in a class action alleging fraud against both Merck and Schering-Plough, arising from a scheme to suppress critical information about the efficacy and safety of the drugs Vytorin and Zetia.

The claim states that in 2002, before they submitted to the FDA the New Drug Applications for Zetia or Vytorin, Defendants had begun a clinical trial, known as “ENHANCE.” It is alleged that the ENHANCE study which Defendants funded, and helped design, was intended to prove that Vytorin’s combination of Zetia and Zocor stops or reduces the growth of fatty arterial plaque better than Zocor alone and that this study, Defendants assumed, would give them the necessary basis for their claim that Vytorin is both superior to statins in reducing “bad” cholesterol and that taking Vytorin would reduce the risk of heart attacks more than taking statins alone.

The claim states that by early 2006, the Defendants learned that the study showed not only that Vytorin was less effective in reducing arterial plaque build-up than Zocor, but also that Vytorin posed serious safety concerns.

Essentially, the claim against the companies alleges that they did not release the results of the ENHANCE study when they became known in late 2005 or early 2006. Instead, Defendants undertook an aggressive strategy to conceal and suppress the negative ENHANCE results, and Defendants succeeded in this scheme until January 14, 2008, when the pressure to release the results could no longer be withstood.

This class action seeks the recovery of amounts paid for these medications during the period of their silence about, and active suppression of, the ENHANCE results, that they would not have sold if proper disclosures had been made. If you used these medications during the applicable time period you may potentially be a Plaintiff in this case. Contact the attorneys at Eichen, Crutchlow & McElroy today to make sure your rights are protected.

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We Fight For Your Rights

DO YOU HAVE A CASE?

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death because of any of these products or conditions, please contact our office and speak to a personal injury attorney. We will respond to your email within 24 hours. Eichen Crutchlow & McElroy, with offices centrally located in Edison and Tom's River New Jersey, provides excellent legal services in the tri-state area, and nationally in matters involving catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents, mass torts, class actions, consumer fraud litigation, and more.

Contact us today for a free consultation.