MedWorm: Lawsuits

Blunder surgeon in £10m lawsuit after 100 women patients take him to court

the Mail online | Health — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:56:24 +0100

Patients of George Rowland were left suffering chronic pain or symptoms which actually got worse after he had performed operations at Liverpool Women's Hospital. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

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Shareholders sue St. Jude Medical over earnings prediction

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:58:09 +0100

St. Jude Medical Inc. is facing a federal securities class-action lawsuit claiming that the medical device maker and two of its top executives misrepresented the company’s financial situation to shareholders last year. (STJ) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

$9.5M Facebook privacy settlement approved

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:55:07 +0100

A federal judge has approved a $9.5 million settlement in a privacy lawsuit against Facebook Inc., which will put about $6 million into a non-profit foundation to promote online privacy. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Lawsuit Shows Insurer Targeted HIV Patients For 'Rescission'

HIV / AIDS News From Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Lawsuit Shows Insurer Targeted HIV Patients For 'Rescission'

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A court case has revealed that the insurer Fortis, now called Assurant Health, automatically targeted customers diagnosed with HIV for fraud investigations geared toward finding reasons to revoke their coverage, Reuters reports. After a computer algorithm initiated the investigations, "their insurance policies often were canceled on erroneous information, the flimsiest of evidence, or for no good reason at all, according to the court documents and interviews with state and federal investigators... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Former InterMune CEO Convicted of Wire Fraud; Further Troubles for Sequenom: Investigations, Shareholder Lawsuit Follow Alleged Mishandling of Data on Fetal Test; Amgen Sued over Aranesp Sales Practices; ZymoGenetics Can Resume Marketing Campaign; Congressional Members Request Drug Price Inquiries; Steps Forward in Decode Bankruptcy Case

Biotechnology Law Report — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:21:09 +0100

Biotechnology Law Report Dec 2009, Vol. 28, No. 6: 729-731. (Source: Biotechnology Law Report)

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You the physician: Your own worst enemy

Modern Medicine — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Barry Lang, MD, JD, a medical malpractice plaintiff's attorney and orthopedic surgeon, admits that doctors have the advantage in most medical malpractice lawsuit trials. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Physicians attribute higher costs to defensive medicine

Modern Medicine — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Physicians attribute 26 percent of overall healthcare costs to the practice of ordering extra tests, referrals, procedures, and hospitalizations to protect themselves from medical malpractice lawsuits. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Christ-Alliance whistleblower suit settled

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:59:50 +0100

A settlement with the federal government might have Christ Hospital and the Health Alliance paying about $110 million in a whistleblower lawsuit. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Mo. to get $840,000 in $42.5M Alpharma settlement

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:51:51 +0100

Alpharma Inc. has agreed to give Missouri $840,000 of the $42.5 million it is paying to settle a whistleblower lawsuit about the marketing of its morphine-based drug Kadian. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

When Saying "I'm Sorry" Is the Worst Thing That You Can Do

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:23:22 +0100

Saying "I'm sorry" can strengthen the case against you, increase your malpractice premiums, and have other negative effects. There's no evidence that it lowers the number of lawsuits. Medscape Business of Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Mandatory arrest? Police response to domestic violence victims - Frantzen D, Miguel CS.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:49:58 +0100

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore lawsuits involving police response to domestic violence incidents. Focusing on the specific legal remedy of due process under Section 1983, the paper seeks to examine federal case law dealing with police ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Nine firms join Yelp "extortion" lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:16:42 +0100

Nine small companies, including three in the Bay Area, have joined a proposed class action federal lawsuit that accuses San Francisco-based Yelp Inc. of extorting money in exchange for manipulating user reviews of businesses, attorneys in Miami and California said this morning. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

More companies join, file Yelp litigation

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:16:42 +0100

Whistleblower Kickback Case Against Alpharma Results In $42.5 Million Recovery For U.S. And States

Pharmaceutical Online News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:27:00 +0100

Alpharma Inc. has agreed to pay $42.5 million to the federal government and certain states to settle a whistleblower lawsuit that exposed an alleged kickback scheme by the pharmaceutical company to boost its sales of Kadian, a prescription painkiller. (Source: Pharmaceutical Online News)

Pfizer Hid Evidence That HRT Causes Cancer

NaturalNews.com — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) A Philadelphia jury has found drug giant Pfizer Inc. guilty of deliberately ignoring evidence that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug Prempro increased women's risk of breast cancer, ordering it to pay unspecified damages to defendant Connie Barton.Millions of women used Prempro and other HRT drugs up until 2002, when the groundbreaking Women's Health Initiative study found that taking the drugs significantly increased women's risk of breast cancer and death from cardiovascular disease. The risk was so striking that researchers called an early halt to the study out of concern for participants' lives. The drugs were -- and still are -- marketed to relieve the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings and night sweats.More recent research suggests that HRT dru...

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Merlin Olsen Passes from Mesothelioma

About.com Lung Cancer — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Football legend Merlin Olsen passed away last week from mesothelioma. Of course, like most people, I have been remembering this member of the "Fearsome Foursome." But today my thoughts turned to his individual nickname. The "Gentle Giant." Not in the context of football from which the title was coined, but in relation to the disease that brought him down. This man - who still holds the Ram's all-time team record for number of tackles and graduated summa cum laude from Utah State University - was knocked down by something as small and unthinking as asbestos fibers. We should stand up and take notice. I think that's what Olsen would want us to do. Having filed lawsuits against NBC, NBC Universal, and 20th Century Fox before his death, he claimed that he was exposed to this cancer-caus...

Shopping center faces foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:12:44 +0100

Fort Lauderdale-based Stonegate Bank (OTCBB: SGBK) filed a foreclosure lawsuit March 1 against Weston-based Oakland Park Associates and managing member Paul E. Rosen, according to Broward County Circuit Court records. It concerns a $2.5 million mortgage issued in 2007 for a shopping center. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Miami-Dade could lose $1M in foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:43:52 +0100

Miami-Dade County could lose its interest in a $1 million loan to the developer of the Capital Lofts in downtown Miami if the first mortgage holder succeeds in its foreclosure lawsuit. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

NYC Settles World Trade Center Cases - JEMS.com

JEMS Latest News — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0100

New York City has agreed to pay up to $657 million to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits filed by ground zero rescue and response workers who say they were sickened by World Trade Center dust. Watch John... (Source: JEMS Latest News)

Ohio woman: U.S. doctor botched breast surgery

CTV Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:05:12 +0100

An Ohio woman claims in a lawsuit that a Pennsylvania plastic surgeon used the wrong kind of breast implants on her, then kept her knocked out longer than necessary and continued with the botched operation on the advice of her fiance. (Source: CTV Health)

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Woman Says She Got Wrong Breast Implants

WDSU.com - Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:28:59 +0100

City Asks Workers To Stop Wearing Deodorant

WDSU.com - Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:51:13 +0100

A settlement in a city worker's lawsuit over scents that made it hard for her to work could change morning routines in Detroit. (Source: WDSU.com - Health)

Legal immigrants sue when left out of Mass. health plan

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Health reform expanded coverage, but lawmakers had to scale it back to balance the 2009 budget. A lawsuit claims that was unconstitutional. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

Small Cap Sentinel: A New Day

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It has been a very eventful year for SenoRx Inc. (Nasdaq:SENO) as the company focused on the intersection of women's health and oncology has seen its stock price rise precipitously and the grey clouds of a patent lawsuit subside. For SenoRx, it is indeed a new day. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Investor suit dogs restaurant-oil company RTI

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0100

A federal judge won’t throw out a lawsuit against Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI) alleging executives and directors manipulated the company to devalue the founders’ investments by as much as $39 million. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Bipolar Disorder, Meds and Blood Sugar

About.com Bipolar Disorder — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I gained 80 pounds on various psychiatric meds, and I know hundreds of our community members are in the same boat. And along with the weight gain came the usual problems - high blood pressure and high cholesterol, not to mention the misery of being fat for the first time in my life. And now there's another problem related to that weight gain: high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. As we reported last year, there are many lawsuits claiming that Seroquel causes diabetes, but the courts haven't bought the argument yet. And although I'm now borderline diabetic, I can't claim that, either, since I have a strong family history of diabetes. Still, the fact remains that my blood sugar is now high enough that I have to take medication for it. And bipolar disorder itself has a possible connection to ...

Listeria-contaminated meat prompts lawsuit

CBC | Health — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:53:30 +0100

The latest meat recall due to concerns over listeria contamination has prompted a proposed class action. (Source: CBC | Health)

Ex-Pfizer Worker Cites Genetically Engineered Virus In Lawsuit Over Firing

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Medical experts will be watching closely Monday when a scientist who says she has been intermittently paralyzed by a virus designed at the Pfizer laboratory where she worked in Groton opens a much anticipated trial that could raise questions about... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

B.C. joins birth control class action lawsuit

CTV Health — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:09:17 +0100

B.C. is joining a lawsuit on behalf of women who say they've suffered serious medical problems while using Yaz or Yasmin, what's referred to as a "fourth generation" progestin hormonal pill. (Source: CTV Health)

Ablation device makers settle whistleblower suit over AF off-label marketing

Cardiovascular Business News — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:21:38 +0100

Two companies that make surgical ablation devices have settled whistleblower lawsuits with the government that alleged they marketed the devices for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is not an FDA-approved indication, according to a report in the March 11 Wall Street Journal. (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)

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Medicine Shoppe And Medicap Pharmacy Statement On Franchisee Lawsuit

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Terry Burnside, general manager and senior vice president responsible for Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy operations, today issued the following statement in response to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio by seven Medicine Shoppe and Medicap franchisees, purporting to represent a class: Medicine Shoppe is dedicated to serving the needs of retail pharmacies and to helping them succeed. This has been true since 1970 when we began, and it is a value we hold sacred today... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Birth control users sue Bayer

CBC | Health — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:14:00 +0100

Canadians have launched class-action lawsuits against Bayer Inc., the maker of birth control drugs Yaz and Yasmin, alleging the pills have caused serious health problems. (Source: CBC | Health)

Miami judge refuses to toss bank overdraft fee lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:10:46 +0100

A Miami federal judge on Thursday denied requests from several of the nation’s largest banks to dismiss lawsuits against them alleging that they have abusive and excessive overdraft fee policies. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Sole, Artecity in Corus foreclosures

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:15:08 +0100

Five months after acquiring the troubled condominium loans from the failed Corus Bank, a joint venture between the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Starwood Capital Group has filed its first foreclosure lawsuits in South Florida. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Investor sues bank over Corazon judgment

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:59:38 +0100

The saga of the shuttered Corazon Club & Spa in Dublin has taken yet another twist with the holder of a claim against the property filing a foreclosure lawsuit seeking to recoup $587,616. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Nearly half of Americans believe climate change threat is exaggerated

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:23:51 +0100

US belief in climate science lowest since polling began 13 years agoPublic belief in climate science has seen a precipitous slide in the US, according to new polling that suggests fewer Americans are concerned about the threat posed by global warming.Nearly half of Americans – 48% – now believe the threat of global warming has been exaggerated, the highest level since polling began 13 years ago, the poll published today by Gallup said.It directly linked the decline in concern to the controversies about media coverage of stolen emails from the University of East Anglia climate research unit and a mistake about the Himalayan glaciers melting by 2035 in the UN's authoritative report on global warming."These news reports may well have caused some Americans to re-evaluate the scientific con...

Libel tourism is a public health risk | Brooke Magnanti

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:35:42 +0100

British libel law is being used by corporations from around the world to suppress legitimate reporting of bad scienceLast year, I had mumps. I blame the libel laws.The recent case of Simon Singh being sued by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) is one example of the out-of-control libel laws in this country, and how they can stop people telling good information from bad. This week is Libel Reform Week and there is no shortage of cases bringing the health risks of such lawsuits to light.Public discussion – journalism included – involves freely debating topics in the public interest. It is similar to what scientists do in peer-reviewed journals. But because most people don't read those, we depend on trusted sources such as Singh to bring the facts and arguments to us.Libel laws ha...

Yasmin/Yaz birth control pill users launch lawsuit

CTV Health — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:02:35 +0100

A group of Canadian women are filing a lawsuit against the makers of Bayer's popular oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin, alleging they were not adequately warned about higher than usual risks for stroke and other health problems. (Source: CTV Health)

Palm Beach County warehouses in $5M foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:59:13 +0100

Four warehouses in Palm Beach County could be seized in a $5.4 million foreclosure lawsuit from a commercial mortgage-backed securities fund. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Supreme Court To Consider Legality Of Lawsuits Against Vaccine Makers

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Associated Press: "The Supreme Court will decide whether drug makers can be sued by parents who claim their children suffered serious health problems from vaccines. The justices on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from parents in Pittsburgh who want to sue Wyeth over the serious side effects their daughter, six months old at the time, allegedly suffered as a result of the company's diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. ... Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer, Inc... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Supreme Court To Consider Legality Of Lawsuits Against Vaccine Makers

Pediatrics News From Medical News Today — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Associated Press: "The Supreme Court will decide whether drug makers can be sued by parents who claim their children suffered serious health problems from vaccines... (Source: Pediatrics News From Medical News Today)

Merlin Olsen Succumbs to Cancer

About.com Cancer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Football legend Merlin Olsen has succumbed to his battle with mesothelioma. The 69 year old died in his Utah home after a short battle with the disease. Olsen publicly blamed his diagnosis on asbestos exposure through the workplace. He filed a lawsuit against NBC and other studios, saying they had negligently exposed him to asbestos. The lawsuit is still in litigation. Mesothelioma is rare form of lung cancer that is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. It can take decades to develop after exposure, so we are now diagnosing people who were exposed probably in the 60's and 70's -- before the building material was regulated. Luckily, the material is no longer used in the capacity as it once was in industrial building and other areas. Mesothelioma Symptoms How Asbestos Causes Can...

LifeLock settles with FTC, states for $12 million

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:42:25 +0100

LifeLock Inc. has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the Federal Trade Commission and 35 states for $12 million, ending a lingering legal battle about what the company promised in its advertising versus what it could deliver in regards to preventing identity theft. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Northside critics to testify in state suit against McKee project

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:37:43 +0100

Two St. Louis residents plan to testify Wednesday in Cole County Circuit Court in Jefferson City in their $95 million lawsuit against the state of Missouri over tax credits awarded to developer Paul McKee Jr.’s $8.1 billion Northside redevelopment. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

High Court Weighs Funeral Protests

WSJ.com: Health — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:30:47 +0100

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether the father of a fallen Marine can collect damages from a religious sect that picketed his son's funeral and whether vaccine makers are immune from lawsuits under state law. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

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High Court Weighs Funeral Protests

WSJ.com: Health — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:30:47 +0100

Parkland Health & Hospital System wins nurse's overtime lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:51:39 +0100

A federal jury in Dallas has returned a verdict in favor of Parkland Health & Hospital System in a lawsuit filed by a nurse alleging that the hospital failed to pay her overtime, Parkland officials recently announced. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Lawsuit Filed Over L.A. Medical Marijuana Ordinance

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:15:46 +0100

A new law regulating medical-marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles is being challenged by activists who say the rules are too onerous. (Source: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News)

High Court Wades Into Funeral Protests, Vaccines

WSJ.com: Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:28:06 +0100

High Court to Weigh Vaccine Injuries

WSJ.com: Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:33:25 +0100

The Supreme Court said that it will decide whether a federal law on vaccine injuries shields vaccine makers from certain types of product-liability lawsuits. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

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Court to decide if vaccine makers can be sued

Reuters: Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:17:57 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether a federal law protects vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits in state court seeking damages for alleged design defects. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Suit filed in Missouri excess radiation case

Health Imaging News — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:41:35 +0100

An Arkansas widower has filed a class action lawsuit against Lester E. Cox Medical Centers in the case involving the overradiation of 76 patients with brain cancer at CoxHealth of Springfield, Mo. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Suit filed in Missouri excess radiation case

Health Imaging News — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:41:35 +0100

N.B. woman wins N.L. pathology negligence suit

CBC | Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:32:18 +0100

A New Brunswick woman has won a negligence lawsuit against a Newfoundland hospital and two pathologists after being told a mole she had removed was benign, only to find out six years later she had life-threatening skin cancer. (Source: CBC | Health)

Another bank sues Rick Brunsman for loan default

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Another Tri-State bank has hit Cincinnati entrepreneur Rick Brunsman with a lawsuit seeking judgment for a debt that’s allegedly in default. The March 1 filing came a week after Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Norbert Nadel, in a separate matter, approved a motion to appoint a receiver for Brunsman affiliate Cincinnati Technology Services LLC. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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SBLI settles suit with policyholders

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:44:43 +0100

The Savings Bank Life Insurance Co. of Massachusetts and its policyholders — embroiled in an 11-year-old class action lawsuit over profit-sharing policies — have reached a settlement. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

SBLI settles suit with policyholders

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:44:43 +0100

Aztec Group CEO named in Hialeah office foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:36:26 +0100

Two executives with a Coconut Grove-based real estate investment and merchant banking firm were named in a foreclosure lawsuit targeting an office building in Hialeah. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Dollar Financial settles Canadian class-action case

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:12:24 +0100

Payday lender Dollar Financial Corp. said Thursday afternoon that it has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit in British Columbia for $24.75 million Canadian dollars. (DLLR) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Merck "could face 500 Vioxx claims"

Pharmacy Europe — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:07:47 +0100

US pharmaceutical giant Merck could be bracing itself for hundreds of lawsuits in Australia after a judge ruled its arthritis drug Vioxx doubled the risk of a heart attack. (Source: Pharmacy Europe)

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Parents Outraged at Warehousing of DNA Saved from Newborn Baby Screening Programs and Used for Clinical Laboratory Testing

Dark Daily — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:39:28 +0100

After Laboratory Tests are Conducted, Newborn Screening Cards are Saved for Research For decades, pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists have been part of a seemingly innocuous public health practice begun in the 1960s: newborn blood testing. Now, because of recent advances in genetic tests and molecular diagnostics, growing numbers of parents are concerned about how [...] (Source: Dark Daily)

Chesley sues Matrixx over Zicam cold treatment

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:19:15 +0100

Cincinnati lawyer Stan Chesley has filed federal lawsuits in Ohio and Kentucky against Matrixx Initiatives Inc., the manufacturer of Zicam over-the-counter cold treatments. They allege that some users of Zicam nasal gel and swabs lost their senses of taste and smell after using the products. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of several area residents. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

CORRECTED: Fish oil makers, drugstores, sued over supplements

Reuters: Health — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:08:02 +0100

(Corrects second paragraph to reflect lawsuit filed in Superior Court, clarifies PCB detail in sixth paragraph) (Source: Reuters: Health)

Woman suing over breast augmentation

Health News - UPI.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:09:39 +0100

NEW YORK, March 3 (UPI) -- A New York mother-of-two alleges in a lawsuit she was essentially left with four breasts because of a botched breast augmentation procedure. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

Jurisdiction Affirmed In Part For Personal Injury Claims From Exposure To Gasoline

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:45:48 +0100

JACKSON, Miss. - A personal injury lawsuit against the former owners of a gasoline service station site found to be contaminated with leaded gasoline was properly removed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on the basis of diversity of citizenship because an estate of one of the former owners was not properly joined, Judge Keith Starrett said Feb. 8 in an order denying a motion to remand (Vernita Bell, et al. v. Texaco Inc., No. 09-192, S.D. Miss.; 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10856). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

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New Jersey Magistrate Grants Leave To Amend Class Actions To Add Nonmedical Claims

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:45:48 +0100

CAMDEN, N.J. - Representatives of two certified class actions consolidated for discovery in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey were granted leave to amend their complaints on Feb. 24 so the same causes of action are alleged in each lawsuit (Richard A. Rowe, et al. v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., No. 06-1810; Misty Scott, et al. v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., No. 06-3080, D. N.J. .; See 1/12/09, Page 13). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

Brazilian Plaintiffs Oppose Dismissal Of Lawsuit Citing Alien Tort Claims Act

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:45:48 +0100

INDIANAPOLIS - Pesticide manufacturers asked a federal judge in Indiana in November to dismiss the Alien Tort Claims Act claims pending against them for their manufacturing practices in Brazil; the Brazilian plaintiffs filed an opposition Feb. 25 that asks for discovery before a decision is rendered (Elias Soares Vieira, et al. v. Eli Lilly Co., et al., No. 09-495, S.D. Ind.; See 5/5/09, Page 23). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

Lawsuit Claims Unsafe PCB Levels In Fish Oil

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:04:10 +0100

A lawsuit brought by environmentalists in California claims popular brands of fish oil dietary supplements contain unsafe and illegal levels of the carcinogenic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, and that the manufacturers use deceptive labeling to trick consumers, CBS station KPIX-TV reports. (Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire)

PCBs found in fish oil capsules, suit says

CBC | Health — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:08:12 +0100

Some fish oil capsules sold as as health supplements contain trace amounts of PCBs, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in California by an environmental group. (Source: CBC | Health)

Earnings: America Service Group profits gobbled up by shareholder lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:18:33 +0100

America Service Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ASGR) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Lawsuit: Disclose PCB Levels in Fish Oil

Health News: CBSNews.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:10:29 +0100

Group Finds Amount of Contaminant Varies Greatly Among Popular Supplement Brands; Vague Claims on Labels Seen as Deceptive (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Lawsuit: Disclose PCB Levels in Fish Oil

Health News: CBSNews.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:10:29 +0100

Group Finds Amount of Contaminant Varies Greatly Among Popular Supplement Brands; Vague Claims on Labels Seen as Deceptive (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

L.A. faces first court challenge over medical marijuana

CTV Health — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:22:50 +0100

A lawsuit filed Tuesday by medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles claims a new city ordinance capping the number of shops and limiting where they can operate is unconstitutional and would close virtually all of the hundreds of dispensaries in the city. (Source: CTV Health)

Astellas Pharma Inc. Commences Tender Offer to Acquire All Outstanding Shares of OSI Pharmaceuticals for $52 per Share in Cash

HSMN NewsFeed — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:16:30 +0100

Astellas Files Lawsuit Against OSI TOKYO, March 2 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE:4503.to ), a global pharmaceutical company, today announced that its indirect subsidiary, Ruby Acquisition, Inc., has commenced a cash tender offer for all ... Biopharmaceuticals, Mergers & Acquisitions, LitigationAstellas Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals (Source: HSMN NewsFeed)

Shannon claimants await $2B TCE lawsuit decision

CBC | Health — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:07:50 +0100

Federal lawyers have made a last bid to stop a class-action lawsuit over contaminated water in the military town of Shannon, Que. (Source: CBC | Health)

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Lawsuit attacks patent giving company control over genetic test for cancer risk

washingtonpost.com - Health — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

After receiving a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer at age 43, Lisbeth Ceriani wanted to find out whether she had the BRCA gene mutation, which makes women much more likely to get breast and ovarian cancer. If she tested positive for the mutation, she decided, she would have her ovaries remov... (Source: washingtonpost.com - Health)

Lawsuit attacks patent giving company control over genetic test for cancer risk

Wash Post Health — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:04:05 +0100

State Roundup: S.C. Plan Would End Benefits To 30,000 Disabled Residents; Judge Bars Calif. From Cutting Elderly From Day Care; Mass. Faces Lawsuit

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

The Associated Press/CNBC report about legislative action in South Carolina: "Children with autism, people with spine and brain injuries and the long-term disabled in job programs are among the 30,000 people who would lose state help under a $5.1 billion spending plan approved by a House committee Thursday. The spending plan would leave the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs able to serve only about 4,800 people who live in five residential care facilities and other group homes around the state, agency lobbyist Lois Park Mole said... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

State Roundup: S.C. Plan Would End Benefits To 30,000 Disabled Residents; Judge Bars Calif. From Cutting Elderly From Day Care; Mass. Faces Lawsuit

Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Parental Notification Ballot Initiative Argued In Alaska Court

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Attorneys appeared in Alaska state court Wednesday to argue for and against a ballot initiative that would require physicians to notify the parents of minors before abortion procedures, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Attorney Jeff Feldman filed a lawsuit against the initiative's supporters on behalf of Planned Parenthood of Alaska and other clients. According to Feldman, the initiative fails to make clear to voters that physicians could be jailed for five years if they fail to locate a parent, verify the parent's identification and personally notify him or her of the procedure... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Federal Officials Focus On Radiation Practices At Florida Clinic; Medical Scan Makers Announce New Efforts To Prevent Mistakes

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Medicare regulations require that when patients receive some types of highly specialized cancer treatments, their radiation oncologist must be on site. But The New York Times reports that federal officials are investigating a Florida cancer clinic that billed Medicare for such treatments while the doctors were absent, sometimes on overseas trips. "A lawsuit by federal officials is focusing only on what the officials say are fraudulent billings from 2003 through at least 2008... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Parental Notification Ballot Initiative Argued In Alaska Court

Pediatrics News From Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Mental Health Weekly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Psychologists File Lawsuit Against New Jersey Insurers Over Privacy ViolationVermont Advocate Who Elevated MH Issues Plans to Retire at End of 2010Ohio Agencies Receive Incentives for Consumer Recovery EffortsSenate Bill Eliminates Medicare Discriminatory Coverage PoliciesMental Health Parity Rule Outlines Six Benefit ClassificationsBriefly NotedState NewsCall for NominationsComing up (Source: Mental Health Weekly)

Responding to an Accusation of Malpractice

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In May 2006, a Florida woman found her husband, a physician, hanging from a nylon rope in their bedroom closet, a suicide. Earlier in the day, the physician had listened in a courtroom as a jury pronounced its verdict, finding him liable in a malpractice lawsuit alleging that he had failed to remove a sponge at the conclusion of a surgical procedure and that the presence of the foreign body subsequently caused the plaintiff, a former patient, infection and pain. According to the physician's wife, her husband was distraught at the prospect of paying three-quarters of the $1 million verdict—the proportion that exceeded his insurance limits—out of his own pocket. Yet financial implications are often only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the distress that such suits inflict on physicians...

The master settlement agreement and its impact on tobacco use 10 years later: lessons for physicians about health policy making.

Chest — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jones WJ, Silvestri GA The issue of tobacco industry responsibility for population health problems and compensation for their treatment has been growing since the 1960s. In 1999, the state attorneys general collectively launched the largest class action lawsuit in US history and sued the tobacco industry to recover the costs of caring for smokers. In what became known as the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), states were rewarded billions of dollars and won concessions regarding how cigarettes could be advertised and targeted to minors. Ten years after this settlement, much is known about how MSA monies were distributed and how states have used the money. There is some understanding about how much of the money went toward offsetting the health-care costs attributable to smokin...

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HIMSS: Buying an EMR system? Ask the tough questions up front

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:04:15 +0100

ATLANTA--The EMR vendor had the sharpest booth at a HIMSS show several years ago, with the nicest signage and the best demonstration. The vendor was also facing a lawsuit from customers who said it didn't deliver as promised. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

HIMSS: Buying an EMR system? Ask the tough questions up front

Health Imaging News — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:04:15 +0100

HIMSS: Buying an EMR system? Ask the tough questions up front

Health Imaging News — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:04:15 +0100

Negligent Security Lawsuits

Disabled World — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:05:00 +0100

When a property owner or manager does not provide adequate security, and you are injured as a result of that negligence, you may be entitled to monetary compensation through a negligent security claim under premises liability law. (Source: Disabled World)

Lawsuit Alleges Medtronic Illegally Marketed Stent Device For Unapproved Use

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

A complaint filed in federal court last week "alleges Medtronic Inc. illegally marketed a relatively obscure medical device called a biliary stent in ways not approved by federal regulators," The (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Star Tribune reports. "The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Boston by two former employees who claim they were harassed and then fired by the Fridley-based medical technology giant when they complained to their managers that so-called 'off-label' use of the stent could be harmful to patients... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Lawsuit Alleges Medtronic Illegally Marketed Stent Device For Unapproved Use

Medical Devices News From Medical News Today — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Lilly Settlement to Fund MT Mental Health Services

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:58:05 +0100

From Associated Press (February 26, 2010) HELENA, Mont. -- The state attorney general's office has settled a lawsuit with a major pharmaceutical company and will use most of the proceeds to pay for mental health services and programs in... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Ending Furloughs of Federally Funded State Employees

Disabled World — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:36:54 +0100

Social Security Commissioner Astrue Calls for Prompt State Assembly Passage of Bill Ending Furloughs of Federally-Funded State Employees - Asks Governor to Withdraw Veto Threat and Not Appeal Lawsuit. (Source: Disabled World)

Pompano Beach commercial building in CMBS foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:53:02 +0100

A commercial building in Pompano Beach has been hit with a foreclosure lawsuit from a commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) fund. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Caliper files patent infringement suit against Carestream

Health Imaging News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:27:19 +0100

Caliper Life Sciences, its wholly owned subsidiary Xenogen, and Stanford University have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Rochester, N.Y.-based Carestream Health. (Source: Health Imaging News)

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Caliper files patent infringement suit against Carestream

Health Imaging News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:27:19 +0100

Louisiana Says Merck Misled State On Vioxx Gastroinstestinal Safety

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:41:04 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - With trial of a qui tam purchase price lawsuit Louisiana brought as a third-party payer for Vioxx scheduled for April, the state's attorney general on Feb. 19 moved for summary judgment in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on the issue of whether the drug's 2002 label was false and misleading about gastrointestinal (GI) safety (In Re: VIOXX Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1657, State of Louisiana, ex rel. James D. Caldwell Jr. v Merck & Co. Inc., No. 05-3700, E.D. La.; See September 2009, Page 11). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News)

Merck Says Louisiana's Vioxx Purchase Price Class Belongs In Federal Court

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:41:04 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - Merck opposes the 11th-hour remand of a qui tam purchase price lawsuit Louisiana brought as a third-party payer for Vioxx, saying in a Feb. 18 brief that the multidistrict litigation court has jurisdiction under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) and that substantial federal questions exist under regulatory law (In Re: VIOXX Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1657, State of Louisiana, ex rel. James D. Caldwell Jr. v Merck & Co. Inc., No. 05-3700, E.D. La.; See September 2009, Page 11). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News)

Parties Move To Exclude Each Other's Damages Experts

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:41:04 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - Merck & Co. and the Louisiana attorney general filed simultaneous motions Feb. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to exclude each other's damages experts in a qui tam purchase price lawsuit in which the state says it overpaid for Vioxx Medicaid reimbursements because of Merck's misrepresentations about the drug's safety and efficacy (In Re: VIOXX Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1657, State of Louisiana, ex rel. James D. Caldwell Jr. v Merck & Co. Inc., No. 05-3700, E.D. La.; See September 2009, Page 11). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News)

Attorney General Seeks To Prevent Anecdotal Testimony About Vioxx

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:41:04 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - Merck & Co. experts should not be allowed to offer unsupported personal testimony about the safety and efficacy of Vioxx, the Louisiana attorney general says in a Feb. 19 motion filed in a qui tam purchase price lawsuit in Louisiana federal court in which the state says it overpaid for Vioxx Medicaid reimbursements because of Merck's misrepresentations about the drug (In Re: VIOXX Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1657, State of Louisiana, ex rel. James D. Caldwell Jr. v Merck & Co. Inc., No. 05-3700, E.D. La.; See September 2009, Page 11). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Arthritis Drugs Legal News)

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Carestream sued over optical patents

AuntMinnie.com Headlines — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Carestream Health has been hit with a lawsuit over patents related to optical (more) (Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines)

Foreclosure dismissed against Sergio Pino

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:08:13 +0100

Mercantil Commercebank voluntarily dismissed its foreclosure lawsuit against a Coral Gables office project that included Miami homebuilder Sergio Pino as an investor. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Appeal of Lawsuit by Former Officer Dismissed; Request for Sanctions Granted

HSMN NewsFeed — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:53:51 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 24 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- GeneLink, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GNLK), a leading consumer genomics biotech company, is pleased to report that the Superior Court of Pennsylvania has dismissed the appeal filed by the Company's former CEO and ... Personalized Medicine, Diagnostics, LitigationGeneLink, GeneWize Life Sciences (Source: HSMN NewsFeed)

Morgan & Morgan's Personal Injury Attorneys Provide Information About Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Injuries and Potential Health Risks

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:40:58 +0100

Popular birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella linked to potentially serious health risks. The injury lawyers at Morgan & Morgan are alerting consumers of these side effects and reviewing possible lawsuits. (PRWeb Feb 24, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/florida-injury-lawyers/yaz-yasmin-injuries/prweb3642574.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

Trial For Lawsuit Against Anthem Blue Cross Begins In California

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0100

The trial begins on a lawsuit targeting Anthem Blue Cross today in California. The insurer "refused to pay for" customer Ephram Nehme "to get a liver transplant in Indiana because the company wanted to save money, a lawyer for the patient told jurors Monday," the Los Angeles Times reports. "But a lawyer for the state's largest for-profit insurer argued that the patient, Ephram Nehme, was not sick enough to qualify for an exception to his policy's requirement that transplants be performed in Blue Cross-contracted hospitals in California... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Trial For Lawsuit Against Anthem Blue Cross Begins In California

Public Health News From Medical News Today — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0100

Lawsuit urges payment for bone marrow donors

USATODAY.com Health — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:55:41 +0100

Should people be paid to donate bone marrow? As of now, doing so would be a violation of the National Organ Transplant Act, which ... (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Suit Accuses Medtronic of Fraud

WSJ.com: Health — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:10:19 +0100

Medtronic faces a lawsuit that alleges fraud by the medical-device maker in the marketing of bile-duct stents. The company's quarterly profit rose 19%. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

Lawsuit argues lives would be saved if bone marrow donors were paid

USATODAY.com Health — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:15:23 +0100

Should people be paid to donate bone marrow? (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Okla. Judge Strikes Down State Law Banning Sex-Selective Abortion, Requiring Reporting Of Personal Information

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Oklahoma County, Okla., District Judge Daniel Owens ruled Friday that a state law prohibiting sex-selective abortion and requiring women to complete a lengthy questionnaire before abortion procedures violates a state constitutional requirement that bills address a single subject, the AP/Muskogee Phoenix reports. The law -- signed by Gov. Brad Henry (D) in 2009 -- was intended to take effect on Nov. 1, 2009. Lora Joyce Davis -- represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights -- filed a lawsuit arguing that the law covered more than one topic... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Anti-seizure drug promotion faces legal fire

CBC | Health — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:59:13 +0100

A lawsuit over the anti-seizure drug Neurontin began in the U.S. on Monday, with patients, insurance companies and unions accusing the drug manufacturer of aggressively marketing it as pain medication. (Source: CBC | Health)

Secondhand Smoking Lawsuit Against Real Estate Agent Fails

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:46:34 +0100

A Boston jury ruled against a woman who sued her real-estate agent after discovering that a downstairs neighbor was a smoker -- a fact she accused the agent of covering up. (Source: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News)

A Manager’s Guide to Dealing with Lawsuits

Physicians Practice — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:20:20 +0100

Here’s how practice administrators can help prepare your practice’s defense against a liability claim. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Lawyer Repellant

Physicians Practice — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:20:20 +0100

Do you feel helpless against the threat of lawsuits? Many docs do. Yet there are ways to reduce your risk of being sued. Arm yourself with best practices, to keep malpractice lawyers at bay. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Smiley & Smiley Files Lawsuit Alleging Tamiflu Caused Boy to Jump from Second Story Window

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:36:01 +0100

Smiley & Smiley, LLP, a prominent New York City personal injury law firm, has announced the filing this week of a lawsuit against Hoffman LaRoche, Inc, manufacturer of Tamiflu, a drug widely used to treat the flu. The lawsuit alleges that Tamiflu caused a 14-year-old boy to suffer from delusions leading him to jump from his second story bedroom window and sustain serious injuries. (PRWeb Feb 22, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/tamiflu/injury/prweb3612014.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

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Regions settles lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Angel Medina, former South Florida president of Regions Bank, spent the last days of his job there listening to allegations of widespread sex discrimination in the bank’s residential mortgage division. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Seacoast National Bank hits Catalfumo with $25M lender lawsuit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

The pending bank lawsuits against Palm Beach Gardens developer Daniel Catalfumo reached nearly $104 million when Seacoast National Bank filed a $25.2 million complaint against him and several of his companies. (SBCF) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Nilita Vientos Gaston Writing Competition

ScanGrants feed — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Deadline: March 5, 2010 The Seventy-Ninth Volume of the University of Puerto Rico Law Review cordially invites you to participate in its annual Nilita Vientós Gastón Writing CompetitionThe topic to be developed on the participating essays is: Law and Health Entries shall address one or several of the following six topics: · The relationship between the proliferation of malpractice lawsuits and increasing healthcare costs· Increasing prescription drugs costs vis à vis protecting intellectual property · Free market versus universal insurance · Freedom of choice versus the State as guardian of individual rights · Legalization of illegal drugs · Public health as an element of environmental regulation A $1,000.00 USD cash prize wi...

Tauber faces foreclosures in Bay Harbor Islands

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:07:22 +0100

Developer Irwin E. Tauber has been named in two foreclosure lawsuits targeting waterfront multifamily and commercial properties in Miami-Dade County’s Bay Harbor Islands. (BK) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Victory for access to medicines as Bayer loses lawsuit in India

MSF News — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:45:54 +0100

An Indian court ruling has halted the international pharmaceutical company Bayer’s latest attempt to introduce new measures to weaken competition in drug manufacture in India. (Source: MSF News)

MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Victory for access to medicines as Bayer loses lawsuit in India

MSF News — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:45:54 +0100

An Indian court ruling has halted the international pharmaceutical company Bayer’s latest attempt to introduce new measures to weaken competition in drug manufacture in India. (Source: MSF News)

Numbers Wars: School Battles Heat Up Again in the Traditional vs. Reform-Math Debate

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Over the past 20 years educators have fought over the best way to teach numbers to kids. Advocates of traditional math tout the practice of algorithms and teacher-centered learning, whereas reform-math proponents focus on underlying concepts and student inquiry. In the face of continued declining scores in the U.S., these so-called math wars have heated up recently with the circulation of petitions, the release of contested curriculum guidelines and, in one case, the filing of a lawsuit. At stake is the ability of American high school graduates to perform everyday math tasks and compete in a global economy.The war began in 1989, when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) released a set of standards that reshaped a generation of instruction. Instead of having students memor...

Numbers Wars: School Battles Heat Up Again in the Traditional versus Reform-Math Debate

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Goldman sues team over move to Credit Suisse

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:05:24 +0100

Goldman Sachs has filed a lawsuit against seven former Atlanta-based executives in its wealth management division for soliciting employees and former clients after their departure for rival Credit Suisse. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

[Editorial] Bodies revealed, but whose?

LANCET — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Remarkable, fascinating, educational, a unique opportunity to enlighten, empower, and inspire. Such has Bodies Revealed—an exhibition of plastinated corpses until recently on display in Birmingham, UK—been described. The exhibition has been mired in controversy since the beginning of its tour in 2004, being banned in Venezuela and subject to a lawsuit in the USA. Much debate has focused on the origin of the bodies on show. (Source: LANCET)

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Ski accidents and legal responsibility: The Spanish case.

Accident; Analysis and Prevention. — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:19:49 +0100

This study classifies and analyzes Spanish court rulings on responsibility for ski accidents(1) occurring within ski resort boundaries, and refers to court cases to propose guidelines aimed at assisting skiers and ski resort managers. Six main trends emerged from the study: (a) Spanish courts resolved lawsuits arising from four clearly identifiable categories of ski accidents. (b) Although lawsuits involving ski accidents were heard in both civil and criminal procedures, civil actions were more extensively brought than criminal ones. (c) The majority of the sentences ending legal proceedings resulted in acquittals, although the cost to defendants in the minority of cases where convictions were made exceeded one million euros in total. (d) No single lawsuit, either civil or criminal, was se...

Facing Own Lawsuit, Firm Drops Libel Suit Against Researcher

ScienceNOW — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:54:32 +0100

GE Healthcare has dropped its controversial libel claim against the Danish radiologist Henrik Thomsen,... [Read more] (Source: ScienceNOW)

US drug firm drops libel action against scientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:44:06 +0100

GE Healthcare says it did not mean to stifle academic debate with action against radiologist Henrik ThomsenA US corporation, GE Healthcare, has dropped the controversial British libel action it brought against a scientist who criticised one of its drugs, saying the firm did not mean to stifle academic debate.Lawyers for leading Danish radiologist Henrik Thomsen said today: "He will be obviously relieved. Now he won't have to worry about his future financial position, and won't have to keep looking over his shoulder before he says anything."At a 2007 Oxford medical conference, Thomsen criticised use of Omniscan, GE's best-selling contrast agent injected into patients so their tissues show up better during MRI scans.Use of the drug, which contains a toxic metal, gadolinium, has now been halt...

Drug firm drops libel case against scientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:44:06 +0100

Arkansas Announces $18.5 Million Settlement with Eli Lilly

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:36:41 +0100

From Associated Press (February 16, 2010) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Tuesday announced an $18.5 million settlement of a lawsuit with Eli Lilly & Co. over off-label marketing of the anti-psychotic... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

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Jury Awards $25 Million in Damages to US Man Over Side Effects of Accutane

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:29:10 +0100

From Canadian Press DataFile (February 17, 2010) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- A New Jersey jury has hit the pharmaceutical company that makes Accutane with a $25.16 million judgment in a lawsuit filed by an Alabama man who blamed the drug for... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Paxil Birth Defect Litigation - First Trial A Bust for Glaxo

NaturalNews.com — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) GlaxoSmithKline has paid out close to $1 billion to resolve lawsuits involving Paxil since the drug came on the market in1992, according to a December 14, 2009 Bloomberg report. But the billion dollars does not cover the more than 600 Paxil birth defect cases currently pending in multi-litigation in Pennsylvania.Glaxo has settled about 10 birth defect cases, according to Sean Tracey, a Houston attorney who represented the family of a child victim in the first jury trial that decided in favor of the plaintiff on October 13, 2009, Bloomberg reports. The settlements in those lawsuits averaged about $4 million, people familiar with the cases told the new service. First Trial A Bust for GlaxoThe first trial, in the case of Kilker v Glaxo, ended with a jury in Philadelphia finding ...

Stanford investors file Caribbean suit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:52:09 +0100

Former investors in Stanford Financial Group have filed a class-action lawsuit against several Caribbean banks and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, seeking compensation for the seizure of the Stanford-owned Bank of Antigua. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Danish scientist sued by drug firm under British libel laws hits back

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:29:32 +0100

Henrik Thomsen to launch libel suit against GE Healthcare after firm's claim that he defamed it over Omniscan drugA leading medical scientist being sued under British libel laws for criticising a giant corporation has found an innovative way to hit back: he is to launch a counterclaim for libel.Henrik Thomsen, a Danish radiologist, is to launch the claim against GE Healthcare, a subsidiary of the US conglomerate General Electric, after the company accused him of defamation and issued a press release calling him a liar.Thomsen, who is "angry", according to his lawyer, Andrew Stephenson, clashed with GE Healthcare, which has offices in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, over claims that its bestselling drug Omniscan, injected as a contrast agent into patients undergoing MRI scans could cause crippli...

Scientist sued by drugs firm bites back

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:29:32 +0100

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Teva Pharmaceutical Settles Lawsuit With Novartis

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:08:51 +0100

From Associated Press (February 16, 2010) NEW YORK -- Teva Pharmaceutical said its U.S. unit has settled a patent dispute over a herpes treatment made by Novartis. Teva launched a generic version of the drug Famvir in 2007. Under the agreement... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

Teva Pharmaceutical Settles Lawsuit with Novartis

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:03:40 +0100

Lusi volcano eruption blamed on mining

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:07:39 +0100

New research finds exploratory gas well responsible for deadly blast in Indonesia as boiling mud continues to flowBritish scientists have revealed evidence that a mining company drilling for gas was responsible for unleashing a mud volcano in Indonesia which has killed 14 (CHECK) people and left tens of thousands homeless.The enormous Lusi volcano in Sidoarjo, East Java, has been spewing out the equivalent of 60 Olympic swimming pools of boiling mud a day since it first erupted in May 2006 from a drilling hole, owned by oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas. Thirteen villages have been smothered by the sludge and 60,000 people have been made homeless. The mud now covers 7sq km.The new data, according to an international team of scientists led by Durham University, provides the strongest evid...

Garden Depot foreclosures mount

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:56:37 +0100

Five new foreclosure lawsuits against the operators of family-owned farms in Homestead and Florida City have brought the pending foreclosure tally to 343 acres and more than $15 million in mortgages. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Payments, Pricing Info, Paperwork May Contribute To Costs, Confusion

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The way doctors, hospitals and other health care providers are paid creates a so-called "perverse incentive" to order more and more medical services, even when those services do not contribute to better health, according to researchers for Dartmouth's Atlas of Health, CNN's investigations unit reports. The report explores a lawsuit filed against a physician-owned hospital in McAllen, Texas, by one of the physician-owners... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Ponce Square office condo faces foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:29:37 +0100

Fifteen unsold units in Coral Gables’ Ponce Square are the target of a foreclosure lawsuit. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Dania Beach industrial building in $4M foreclosure

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:52:36 +0100

Sunstate Bank filed a $3.8 million foreclosure lawsuit targeting an industrial building and former towing yard in Dania Beach. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

South Carolina Attorney Says Legal Options Still Available To Those Harmed By Chantix

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:11:22 +0100

Bert Louthian, a lawyer with the Louthian Law Firm in Columbia, S.C., says developments in lawsuits pending against a Pfizer anti-smoking drug don’t mean other consumers who have been harmed cannot seek justice. (PRWeb Feb 11, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Chantix/lawyer/prweb3594234.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

Merck increases safety after Vioxx

Pharmacy Europe — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:11:03 +0100

US pharmaceutical company Merck has agreed to appoint two safety committees and settle shareholder lawsuits after withdrawing the arthritis drug Vioxx caused it to lose billions of dollars. (Source: Pharmacy Europe)

'A Troubling Picture' Of Long-Term Care Hospitals

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0100

"Lawsuits, state inspections and federal statistics paint a troubling picture of the care offered at some hospitals," writes The New York Times in an investigation of long-term care hospitals that dominates the front page. The Times focuses on the Select Medical Corporation, "a publicly traded Pennsylvania company that runs 89 long-term hospitals, more than any other company," but also points out that "more than 400 similar facilities ... have opened nationally in the last 25 years. Few of them have doctors on staff, and most are owned by for-profit companies... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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'A Troubling Picture' Of Long-Term Care Hospitals

Public Health News From Medical News Today — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Merck To Appoint Drug Safety Monitors To End Suits

WDSU.com - Health — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:26:37 +0100

Closing another chapter in the painful saga over withdrawn arthritis pill Vioxx, Merck & Co. has agreed to settle lawsuits brought by shareholders who lost billions, by appointing two committees and a chief medical officer to monitor drug safety and keep the company honest. (Source: WDSU.com - Health)

Mesothelioma Lawsuit Results in $17.87 Million Verdict

Asbestos and Mesothelioma News — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:32:36 +0100

In a recent case involving asbestos exposure, a jury has awarded $17.87 million to a woman who has been diagnosed with the rare cancer mesothelioma. Jayne Menssen claimed she contracted mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos during her employment as a secretary at Union Asbestos and Rubber Co. in the 1960s. The company was called Unacro Industries Inc. at a later date. According to Menssen, the defendants Pneumo Abex LLC and Honeywell International Inc. knew about the hazards associated with asbestos, but failed to warn employees and customers that there was any danger. Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma. For most patients, prognosis is poor as doctors often experience difficulty in treating the disease. Treatment options usually include palliative me...

Merck settles shareholder lawsuits tied to Vioxx

Reuters: Health — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:18:37 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck & Co has agreed to make corporate governance changes and create internal committees to address potential safety issues with its products under a proposed settlement of shareholders lawsuits related to its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller. (Source: Reuters: Health)