Pharmaceutical Cases

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO HANDLE PHARMACEUTICAL CASES

Some are brought as individual cases, while others are multidistrict cases or class actions. Precisely how a case is handled depends upon the facts of each case and the basis of liability. We monitor activity of the Food & Drug Administration and other agencies. Many times, manufacturers simply fail to provide information to federal approving authorities, and other times the information is even false or misleading. There may be claims based upon the safety of the drug, the nature of the warnings, or possibly even the marketing of the drug. Each case is different and must be individually considered on its facts. Our law firm considers all pharmaceutical and drug-related cases, as well as medical device cases. Currently our drug litigation lawyers are concentrating on the following dangerous drugs:

• Testosterone Claims: Testosterone replacement therapies such as AndroGel, Axiron, Testim or AndroDerm can potentially be linked to heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism.
• Byetta Claims: For millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes, Byetta is an injectable drug that is prescribed to lower blood glucose levels. Unfortunately, recent studies have linked Byetta to conditions such as pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
• Januvia Claims: Januvia is a medication commonly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes. It has recently been linked to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
• Victoza Claims: As with numerous other injectable drugs, Victoza has been prescribed to Americans with Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, recent studies have linked Victoza with serious conditions such as acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
• Mirena Claims: Some individuals using the Mirena IUD as a method of birth control have suffered serious injuries such as a perforation of the uterine wall, sepsis or pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Lipitor Claims: Women have developed diabetes while taking Lipitor to lower their blood cholesterol. If this has happened to you, you might have a case against Pfizer.
• Granuflo / Naturalyte Claims: Fresenius’ two dialysis products GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as medical devices, are acid concentrates used with bicarbonate concentrates in kidney dialysis.

Medical Devices and Dangerous Drugs

Medical device cases are considered under a different body of law. In all these cases, federal preemption may be an issue. It takes a great deal of expertise to understand the nuances and complexities of the interaction between federal and state law in both medical device and pharmaceutical cases. Medical devices fall under different classifications.

The classification of the device may have something to do with the potential liability of the manufacturer.

Some medical devices malfunction, and others are defective. In still other cases where the manufacturer seeks approval of a medical device, misleading or improper information is provided to the approving authorities which may lead to liability. Whether you have been injured by a pharmaceutical or a medical device such as a Stryker Hip Implant you should call our law firm for assistance and direction.

Attorney Cliff Rieders

Cliff Rieders is a Nationally Board Certified Trial Lawyer practicing personal injury law. A large part of his practice involves multi-district litigation, including cases related to pharmaceuticals, vitamin supplements and medical devices. He is admitted in several state and federal courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. Rieders is the past regional president of the Federal Bar Association and is a life member of the distinguished American Law Institute, which promulgates proposed rules adopted by many state courts. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, formerly Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. As a founder of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, he served on the Board for 15 years.

Not only has Rieders held many highly esteemed, leadership positions, he authored legislation related to the Patient Safety Authority and the Mcare Act, which governs medical and hospital liability actions in Pennsylvania. He authored texts upon which both practitioners and judges rely, including Pennsylvania Malpractice Laws and Forms, and Financial Responsibility Law Issues in Pennsylvania, the latter governing auto and truck collisions in Pennsylvania. In addition, he wrote several books on the practice of law in Pennsylvania regarding wrongful death and survivor actions, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice claims and worker rights, among others. Rieders also serves as a resource to practitioners as a regular speaker for Celesq, an arm of the world’s largest legal publisher, Thomson Reuters West Publishing.

As recognition of his wide range of contribution to his profession and of his dedication to protecting the rights of his clients, he received numerous awards, among them the George F. Douglas Amicus Curiae Award, the Milton D. Rosenberg Award, the B’nai B’rith Justice Award, and awards of recognition from the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers. [ Attorney Bio ]