Category: Drug Injuries

Protecting yourself from adverse drug reactions

by John McKiggan

For younger Canadians an adverse reaction to a pharmaceutical drug could be an inconvenience, but to seniors it could be life threatening. A report from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (“CIHI“) states that roughly 27,000 patients a year over the age of 65 end up in the hospital as a result of adverse reactions to their drugs.

According to the CIHI approximately 0.5% of Canadian seniors end up in the hospital every year due to their medication.

Further the cost to health carecare system in Canada of adverse drug reactions among seniors comes to approximately $35.7 million a year.

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Posted in: Drug Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Uncategorized

Anti-inflammatory Drug Dangers: Doctors recommend recall of popular drug

by John McKiggan

Researchers have requested that the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac be taken off shelves due to increased heart risks.

The drug, is sold under many brand names including Cataflam, Voltaren and Voltarol, and is only available by prescription in Canada and the United States.

Diclofenac is sold over-the-counter in many other countries including the U.K., Australia and Japan.

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Posted in: Chronic Pain, Drug Injuries, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Children’s Meds Causing Dangerous Allergic Reactions

by John McKiggan

Recently I was doing research for a client whose child had suffered an adverse reaction after taking a common children’s medication. That’s why this article in Reuters caught my attention.

It tells the story of a Massachusetts family that nearly lost their daughter due to an allergic reaction to a common household medicine. Seven year-old Samantha Reckis lost approximately 90 percent of her skin, suffered mild brain damage and is legally blind after taking children’s Motrin.

Following a decade-long trial, a Massachusetts jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $63 million to Samantha and her family.

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Posted in: Child Injuries, Child Safety, Drug Injuries, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Pfizer Zoloft Birth Injury Claims – When is a risk too small to explain?

by John McKiggan

Last month 10 couples filed birth injury lawsuits against Pfizer, who manufactures the antidepressant Zoloft. They claim severe birth injuries suffered by their children are a consequence of the mom’s taking Zoloft during their pregnancy.

Failed to Warn of Risks

The argument is Pfizer failed to warn of the risks to unborn children, and further that Pfizer did not adequately test the product.

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Posted in: Child Injuries, Class Actions, Drug Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Infant Safety: Babies Being Given Dangerous Herbal Remedies

by John McKiggan

The latest edition of Pediatrics Journal contained a study published by the University Hospital Medical Centre in Cleveland Ohio which shows that 9% of babies are being given a wide variety of herbal supplements. The study states that this is a concern because some of the herbs may pose health risks to babies.

Unregulated

The problem arises because herbal supplements are not regulated the same way as drugs and pharmaceuticals. The herbal remedies may cause adverse drug reactions and may be contaminated.

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Posted in: Child Injuries, Drug Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Facebook Being Used Against Personal Injury Victims

by John McKiggan

Defence Lawyers on Facebook

Everybody seems to be interested in Facebook, Twitter and all the other social media networks these days. That includes lawyers who represent insurance companies. There have been a series of cases across Canada where lawyers for insurance companies have demanded production of plaintiffs’ Facebook pages in order to use the information against the plaintiff.

Depressed Victim Looked Too Happy

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Drug Injuries, Fatal Accidents, Insurance Claims, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Trasylol (Aprotinin) May Cause Fatal Side Effects: Information for patients

by John McKiggan

We have been investigating potential personal injury claims against Bayer Inc. the manufacturer of the drug Trasylol (Aprotinin) for almost a year now.

In January 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that of the 4,400 heart surgery patients who received Trasylol:

1. Trasylol increased the risk of stroke by 181%;

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Drug Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized

Trasylol (Aprotinin) Class Action: Information for Nova Scotia patients.

by John McKiggan

A “multi-million dollar” class action law suit has been filed against drug manufacturer Bayer Inc. for injuries allegedly caused by the drug Trasylol (also known as Aprotinin)

CTV News has reported that a number of class action lawsuits have been filed in the United States. Now patients in Canada have filed a similar lawsuit.

Bayer Inc. withdrew Trasylol from the market after medical research studies showed that patients treated with the drug were more likely to die than patients treated with other medication.

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Posted in: Drug Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized

How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse: New Report

by John McKiggan

Insurance companies use “dirty tricks” and “unethical behavior” to deny legitimate claims and boost their profits, according to a new report released by the American Association for Justice.

The report explains how insurers have:

…endeavored to deny claims, delay payments, confuse consumers with incomprehensible insurance-speak, and retroactively refuse anyone who may cost them money.

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Posted in: Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Child Injuries, Drug Injuries, Insurance Claims, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized