LawSquawker • Thomas & Wan's Blawg

What is the sixth biggest killer in America? Car wrecks? Cancer? Heart attacks? No, it's medical errors... Preventable medical errors kill and seriously injure hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Any discussion of medical negligence that does not involve preventable medical errors ignores this fundamental problem. And while some interested parties would prefer to focus on doctors’ insurance premiums, health care costs, or alternative compensation systems—anything other than the negligence itself—reducing medical errors is the best way to address all the related problems. Preventing medical errors will lower health care costs, reduce doctors’ insurance premiums, and protect the health and well-being of patients. Justice.org has the full story .

Zimmer NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral components and Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex artificial knee replacements have been associated with high incidences of significant pain and loosening of the replacement knee, leading to the failure of the knee replacement, revision knee surgery or other knee surgery complications. In March 2010, data was presented by a group of prominent knee surgeons indicating nearly 9% of patients examined after two years required revision knee surgery and 36% showed signs of loosening of the cement-less CR Flex artificial knee. These failure rates are higher than expected and are believed to be due to design defects. Based on the high number of calls we have received, we believe other models of the Zimmer NexGen artificial knee may also be defective and will ultimately be recalled. On July 29, 2010 Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a letter to Zimmer Holdings regarding problems with certain models of the Zimmer NexGen knee replacement system, in

According to an FDA Safety Announcement, the potential side effects of Multaq, a prescription drug used to treat abnormal heart rhythm, may be linked to an increased risk of acute liver failure or other liver problems. See the FDA WARNING: Severe Liver Injury with Multaq Multaq (dronedaron) is a new medication that was just approved in July 2009. It is used to treat patients who have had an abnormal heart rhythm during the past six months, such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Although it has only been on the market for a short period of time, nearly 150,000 people in the United States filled a prescription for the heart drug as of October 2010. The FDA has received a number of reports of heptocellular liver injury and hepatic failure among users of Multaq, including at least two cases of acute liver failure from Multaq that resulted in the need for a liver transplant. The two cases of Multaq liver failure occurred within the first six mon

A sad and chilling example of why tort reform hurts those that are the most injured. Seriously, any refinery worker in Texas needs to know that they really have no recourse if they are burned, maimed, killed, etc. by the negligence of the refinery. Because of tort reform, we have to turn these potential clients away all the time. People seem to have a mistaken belief that you can sue when you are injured by the negligence of others--well, thanks to "tort reformers," you really can't do that in Texas. Sad, but true. Next time you are injured from negligence, don't call a lawyer, call Rick Perry and your Congressman/woman and tell them that insurance and corporate greed is literally killing good, decent workers.