Asbestos News Roundup: 9.3.10

September 3rd, 2010. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Madison County, IL: Ten new asbestos complaints were filed in Madison County in mid-August. They include a suit brought by Iona Frost of Washington, who worked at a laundromat from 1952 until 1962 where she claims she was exposed to asbestos. Frost also alleges that she was secondarily exposed to asbestos fibers through her ex-husband, Donald Hamilton, who worked as a laborer at Seattle Hardware Company from 1952 until 1968, and through her second husband, Jim Frost, who worked as a salesman at hardware companies from 1968 until 1990. 

Also, William and Carolyn Boughman of Indiana brought an asbestos-related suit alleging that William developed mesothelioma after his work as a laborer, mechanic, truck driver and operator at various locations from 1959 until 2000. 

And Sydney A. Rose of Iowa claims her recently deceased husband, Clarence A. Rose, developed mesothelioma after his work as a boilertender in the U.S. Navy from 1951 until 1955, as a boilermaker at General Services Administration from 1956 until 1986, as a shadetree mechanic in Missouri from 1956 until 1976 and as a drywaller and home remodeler from 1956 until 1977. (Madison Country Record)

Jefferson County, TX: Another asbestos suit was brought by the son of a deceased brick mason against 45 companies alleging the corporate defendants negligently exposed his Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s What’s Wrong with Botox

September 3rd, 2010. By AbiK

Think I’m going to say that it’s the way Botox can turn a once-expressive face into one that looks like it’s just come out of the freezer? Nope. Or that it’s spurred on our youth-obsessed culture thereby driving the insecurities of aging women to new heights? Nope again.

The issue with Botox is this: it’s easy to get and easy to steal. Too easy. It’s getting to the point where it might as well be right up there with the more “commodity” beauty that you find on drugstore shelves. Heck, when you see reports of former Miss USA Shannon Marketic allegedly shoplifting Olay Pro-X and then read about the recent string of Botox Bandits, is there really any difference?

For those of you who haven’t been following, yes, there is a brand of thief known as Botox Bandit. The latest arrest was Maria Elizabeth Chrysson (who’s 29—again? one can’t help but ask) in Miami. Funny thing is that this is Chrysson’s third charge of Botox “theft”. Botox, mind you, can run $300 – $500 per visit and can get over the $1,000 mark. The theft happens when the patient, post-injection, either writes a check that’ll bounce or says that she needs to hit an ATM or she left her purse in the car (whoops!).

Ok, it’s not the theft that’s actually the issue. To be more precise, the theft is more like a symptom. Think about it. What other medical—yes medical—procedure can you walk into Read the rest of this entry »

Seroquel Settlements Continue…but What Drug is Next?

September 2nd, 2010. By LucyC

During the past few weeks we have seen AstraZeneca (AZ) settle some 17,500 Seroquel lawsuits—give or take. That puts them about two thirds of the way through a staggering 26,000 cases currently pending against them. So far the estimated amount of those settlements is around $198 million, according to media reports. That certainly isn’t chump change. But then the drug reportedly did about $4.9 billion in sales last year. You do the math. 

According to a report on Bloomberg, AZ is still facing “at least 8,000 cases in both state and federal courts.” The cases allege that the drug, which was approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for treatment of schizophrenia and mania associated with bipolar disorder, causes—or at least is associated with—the onset of diabetes. All the settlements so far have been negotiated out of court, so this week it was decided to give AZ a little more time to see if they could finish the job—settle all the outstanding cases—without having to go to court. We’ll see. 

The average amount of the settlements per case is around $11,000. I wonder how much diabetes medication that buys?

But it seems that Seroquel isn’t the only drug associated with the development of adverse Read the rest of this entry »

Kevin Bacon Game helps Decipher Diabetes-related Drug Lawsuits

September 2nd, 2010. By AbiK

If you’ve ever wondered why certain drugs (Zyprexa, Avandia, Seroquel, Cymbalta…to name a few) seem to have something in common, but you just can never really put your finger on it, well, it’s time to look to the Kevin Bacon Game (aka, Six Degrees of Separation, with some liberties taken) to find out what those connections are…so here goes…

Riddle: How Many Make a Class for a Wal-Mart Class Action?

September 1st, 2010. By LucyC

Question: How many people does it take to make a class in a class action lawsuit?

Answer: That depends on how much money you have to spend.

Faced with a potential class action lawsuit over allegations that the world’s largest private employer discriminated (discriminates?) against its female employees, Wal-Mart has so far managed to avoid a trial by insisting that the roughly 1 million women who worked for them since 2001 don’t constitute a class. That’s nine years of legal wrangling and it ain’t over yet.

Just as a quick reference, according to one legal dictionary I checked the definition of a class is: “a lawsuit that allows a large number of people with a common interest in a matter to sue or be sued as a group.” That seems fairly straight forward to me. As indeed it did to a federal court judge in 2004, who ruled that the women do constitute a class. Wal-Mart, apparently having the funds available to drag this out—appealed the decision, but in April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that the 1 million women constitutes a class, and that the case could proceed.

But no. Not yet. Wal-Mart—the harbingers of “Save Money. Live Better.”—seem to be following their own advice to the letter, figuring it’s likely cheaper to fight this now than risk going to court or paying a settlement—both outcomes they are very familiar with—is taking the matter to the Supreme Court. 

A recent editorial in the NY Times states this is “probably a smart legal move, given the Read the rest of this entry »