Pharmaceutical Litigation And Personal Injury Law Blog

Hours-of-service rules cause truckers to speed, motorist to die

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

An uptick in fatal truck crash rates in recent years may attributable to tractor-trailer operators rushing to take a rest break so that they don't violate Department of Transportation regulations. The federal hours-of-service rule requires truckers to take a 30-minute break after driving eight hours and restricts them from driving in excess of 11 hours per each 14-hour period.

The most recent statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that the number of fatal tractor-trailer crashes reached a 29-year high in 2017 when 4,761 people died. Approximately 1,300 of those killed were the truckers themselves. The other 72 percent killed were motor vehicle operators. The fatalities that year marked an increase of nearly 400 more than in 2016.

Vaccination Proclamation

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in pharmaceutical injury on Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Vaccines are an important part of our culture because they prevent diseases, thus saving lives. Most people who get vaccinated notice no ill effects and reap all the benefits. Like any medication, side effects can occur, but they are rare. In a small percentage of cases, a vaccine can cause a severe allergic reaction. Here's where the National Vaccine Compensation Program (NVCP) comes in. People who do suffer a serious problem related to a vaccine can receive financial compensation through a settlement.

Infant ibuprofen drops are recalled for high drug concentrations

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in pharmaceutical injury on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

The drug manufacturer Tris-Pharma issued a recall of additional batches of infants' ibuprofen drops this past week. This marks the second over-the-counter pain reliever recall that has been issued by this company since November.

A press release issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Jan. 30 outlines how tests have shown that the recalled batches of the medication likely contain higher than normal drug concentrations.

A Special Delivery with Shoulder Dystocia

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in blog on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

You want your baby entering the world in pristine condition, but Shoulder Dystocia can cause all sorts of issue for the child and the mother. SD occurs during labor when the baby's shoulders get stuck as they pass through the birth canal. This can be extremely dangerous because the baby can sustain injuries to their arms or shoulders, the baby's brain could be deprived of oxygen...resulting in brain damage, and the mother's tissues (such as cervix, uterus, or vagina) could tear, causing excessive bleeding.

Don't Have a Hernia, Man

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Medical Devices on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Have you ever had part of your intestines or other tissues bulge through your abdominal wall? Just reading that sentence feels painful. Luckily if this happens, you are likely diagnosed with a hernia, and a doctor fixes it with simple surgery. In most cases, they install surgical mesh that provides support for the weakened tissue. This mesh can be made of animal tissue, which degrades over time while your body naturally heals itself, or synthetic material that acts as a permanent reinforcement to keep the hernia from reappearing. Unfortunately the mesh can be faulty in some cases and result in further pain, infection, recurrence, obstruction (intestinal blockage), or perforation (a hole in nearby tissue or organs).

How your pharmacy lets you know of a medication recall

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in pharmaceutical injury on Friday, January 18, 2019.

Pharmaceutical research and the prescription of medications for what ails a patient is big business in the United States. Each year millions of Americans suffering from a variety of conditions are prescribed drugs to treat what ails them. While they help many of them recover from an illness or manage a chronic health condition, you may wonder what role your pharmacy plays it getting you information about unsafe medications.

Types of recalls that exist

New truckers threaten to increase truck crash rates in the U.S.

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Truck Accidents on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Tractor-trailers are critical to getting products to the market in the United States. While any time you see a big rig crash, it seems catastrophic, the industry as a whole has gotten a lot safer in the past years than it was a little more than a decade ago.

Truck-related crashes have declined significantly during the past decade according to the Federal Highway Administration. In 2007, there were 2.7 crashes for every 100 million miles truckers traveled that year. By 2016, that number had declined by a little more than half to 1.34.

A blood pressure medication is recalled for being carcinogenic

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Drugs on Friday, December 21, 2018.

A few months ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled several generic blood pressure medications manufactured by Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Since then, over 104 lots of valsartan tablets and valsartan-combo tablets have been recalled. Regulators have found that the often-prescribed heart drug actually contains a carcinogen.

The three medicines that have been recalled thus far include valsartan tablets, valsartan with hydrochlorothiazide and valsartan with amlodipine. When the FDA recall was originally announced, they noted that those medications were found to contain trace amounts of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), a chemical that is known to cause cancer. Drinking water and foods in areas that have high levels of industrial waste and air pollution have routinely tested positive for this particular carcinogen.

The FDA is slated to overhaul its medical device approval process

On behalf of Reich & Binstock posted in Defective Medical Devices on Friday, December 7, 2018.

On Nov. 26, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they plan to overhaul the vetting system that has been used to approve medical devices for release on the market for the past few decades. The action comes on the heels of reports showing how many previously approved devices have caused consumer injuries.

Once the new process takes effect, a medical device won't be approved simply because it is similar to a previously approved device. It will instead have to undergo clinical testing and additional scrutiny as if it were a device that's never been placed in front of them before.

Wrongful death claim facts you should know before going to court

On behalf of Reich & Binstock on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

When you suffered the sudden, unexpected loss of a beloved family member in a fatal Texas car accident, you may have felt like someone had knocked the ground out from underneath your feet. The grieving process for sudden death loss is unique for every person; however, many families find it helpful to attend community groups to share encouragement and support with others who have suffered similar experiences.

Knowing that your loved one's death was preventable, had it not been for another person's negligent or reckless behavior, can definitely exacerbate your grief and may also spark an intense desire to seek justice on behalf of your deceased family member. Texas law provides recourse for you to do so by filing a wrongful death claim in a civil court. Those who do must substantiate their claims by providing evidence that convinces the court that the designated defendant's negligent or reckless actions directly caused the death.