Defective Products Archive

Raptiva, Reglan, Hydroxycut, Heparin and Floppy Hats

June 22nd, 2009. By AbiK

Ok folks. Let’s play a little “One of these things is not like the other; one of these things just doesn’t belong…” Sing along with me if you’d like. Or not. Either way, I’m betting the farm that you’re going to pick (drum roll please) Floppy Hats as your answer.

Raptiva, Reglan, Hydroxycut and Heparin are all drugs (one’s a supplement) that have either been directly linked to adverse (and dangerous) side effects and have been yanked or recalled from shelves by the FDA—or have received a more stringent black box warning in recent months. Each is a current legal issue with lawsuits pending.

Floppy Hats? That would be a suit, too, brought forth by Alfred G. Rava—a California lawyer. Seems he felt pretty injured (my words) when he didn’t receive a floppy hat as a giveaway at an Oakland A’s game in 2004. See, according to a great post by Rick Reilly over at ESPN.com (6/12/09), Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Alfred Rava, Heparin, Hydroxycut, Raptiva, Reglan
Posted in Defective Products, Drugs/Medical | 1 Comment »

Fen-Phen case: JD and MD aren’t interchangeable – you need both

June 22nd, 2009. By AbiK

It’s the whole oil and vinegar thing. They make a beautiful dressing, but they don’t mix. They respect each other’s turf. So it is with lawyers and doctors—normally. Here’s the story… 

Imagine you’ve been taking a supplement—like Fen-Phen—to lose weight. Now imagine you’ve heard that Fen-Phen diet supplement you’ve been taking has been linked to a serious condition, namely PPH (Primary Pulmonary Hypertension). You’ve started to notice some PPH symptoms yourself and you reach out to a Fen-Phen lawyer for help. 

Trouble is, you didn’t reach out through LawyersandSettlements.com (ok, ok, a little bit of self-love there) and this particular lawyer is apparently a schmuck. That’s basically the story (alleged, of course) the Louisville Courier-Journal.com is reporting today. Seems Patricia Fulkerson was part of a national Fen-Phen class action suit back in 2002, and she’s claiming that the law firm, Florida-based Wasserman, Riley & Associates, “exaggerated her heart injuries—and those of other clients—so it could collect higher fees.”

How so you ask? Doesn’t the doctor’s report show the extent of any injury? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Fen-Phen, PPH, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Zicam customers have spoken…

June 17th, 2009. By AbiK

But are they smelling? While there’s still a lot on the Zicam FDA warning that needs to play out, truly, a Zicam picture is worth a thousand words. This one taken right from the customer testimonial page on the Zicam website can only be described as…ironic, no?

Tags: Zicam, Zicam FDA warning
Posted in Defective Products, Emerging Issues | No Comments »

Hydroxycut Class Action Filed in California

June 17th, 2009. By admin

Here’s one that just came flying across my virtual desk—yes, it does happen to be from a law firm that advertises on LawyersandSettlements.com, but given that Hydroxycut Diet Supplements were touted as “America’s #1 Selling Weight Loss Product” (right on the package!), it does make you wonder about the extent to which adverse effects with Hydroxycut have been underreported. Here’s the release…

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman Files National Hydroxycut Consumer Fraud Class Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Millions Who Consumed the Recalled Weight Loss Supplement

LOS ANGELES– Recalled Hydroxycut products are defective and dangerous according to a lawsuit filed today by Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of everyone who consumed any of the recalled weight loss Hydroxycut supplements.

The lead plaintiff in this class action, Marvin Thomas of Los Angeles, is seeking compensatory, equitable, declaratory, and injunctive relief for himself and everyone in the Hydroxycut class against the defendants for, among other things, violations of various states’ deceptive trade practices acts, misrepresentation, fraudulent, false and misleading advertisements, and unjust enrichment by distributing a product about which they had been making unsubstantiated claims of safety and effectiveness.

Tags: Hydroxycut, Hydroxycut Class Action, Hydroxycut Diet Supplements
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Chinese Drywall: when to get a Lawyer

June 11th, 2009. By admin

Since the Chinese Drywall debacle became big news, a ton of websites have popped up offering “what to look for” tips on how to detect whether you have a problem. While you may find evidence of a potential problem by noticing an unnatural blackening on coins or jewelry in your home, or by failure of appliances that use copper wiring, the Florida State Department of Health outlines what signs to look for that’ll ensure you get the help you need: legal help—as most homeowner’s insurance policies won’t give you a dime of help.

If you’re like many people, you may be a bit hesitant to contact a lawyer—but the guidelines below will help you understand when it’s in your best interest (and your home’s) to do so.

According to current case definition (3/30/09), you must meet certain requirements in order to meet the case definition—and it depends on when your home was built: 

Homes built after January 1, 2004 must show at least 2 of the 5 following signs.

Homes built before January 1, 2004 must show at least 3 of the 5 following signs.

1. Sulfur-like or rotten egg smell.

2. Drywall in your home with any of these visible markings…

      Made in China

      Knauf – Tianjin

      China-ASTM C36 06-05-03, 10.14

      Made in China ASTM C36/C1396 Standard

      Knauf – Tianjin China ASTM C36

      National Gypsum

      GridMarX

3. Evidence of black, sooty coating on copper freon pipes connecting to air handling unit

4. Evidence of air conditioner evaporator coil failure

5. Determination by an expert of the presence of premature copper corrosion on uninsulated copper wires or air conditioner evaporator coils

Tags: chinese drywall, defective drywall
Posted in Defective Products | 2 Comments »