CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS
Sometimes called class action lawsuits, a mass tort is a form of personal injury lawsuit that is filed when a certain pharmaceutical, medical device, or other product has been proved to have caused injury to a large number of people.
Other claims also considered a Mass Tort may include PRODUCT DEFECTS (such as the Ford SUV rollover claims or defective seat belt claims,) ILLNESSES (due to mold exposure or food contamination,) CATASTROPHIC EVENTS (commercial air liner or bus accidents, apartment building fires.)
What happened with the drug known as Fen-Phen is a good exemple of a mass tort. (Fen-Phen is a combination of two separate pills prescribed by doctors for weight reduction. The "fen" stands for "fenfluramine," and the "phen" stands for "phentermine.") After a 23 million award for a woman in Texas in 1999, the drug manufacturer of Pondimin and Redux agreed to settle patient claims for 3.75 billion.
In September 1997, after a study released by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the drug combination fen-phen and the single diet drug Redux was withdrawn from the United States market. The study discovered a connection to the use of the drug and a serious heart condition known as valvular regurgitation, or leaky heart valves.
The fen-phen class action/mass tort litigation in West Virginia was the largest and most successful litigation for medical monitoring and personal injury in the history of the state of West Virginia
OTHER IMPORTANT CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS:
VIOXX
Vioxx was a pain killer medication sold for the treatment of acute pain and relief of osteoarthritis and other conditions. Due to concern with being linked to heart attacks and strokes, on September 30, 2004, Merck and Company voluntarily recalled Vioxx from the market.
LAWSUIT SETTLEMENTS - The first law suit tried against Merck resulted in a verdict for the Plaintiff in the amount of 253.5 Million dollars. Other pain killers such as BEXTRA and CELEBREX have also been reported to cause problems similar to VIOXX.
If you or some one you know have used VIOXX, BEXTRA or CELEBREX and have suffered a heart attack or stroke you should contact a personal lawyer immediately.
ADDERALL XR
Prescribed to treat children with ADHD, Adderall XR was recently removed from the Canadian market after reports that the drug was linked to 20 sudden deaths and even more strokes.
Contact a lawyer if you or some one you love has become ill or passed away after using Adderall XR.
EPHEDRA
Ephedra, an adrenaline-like stimulant, can have dangerous effects on the heart. It has been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, insomnia, dizziness, tremors, nervousness, headaches, heart attack and stroke.
Ephedra products marketed as diet pills and workout boosters have been sold by many companies under names, such as Metabolife 356, Ripped Fuel, Ultimate Orange and Hydroxycut.
The diet supplement is listed on ingredient labels in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, ephedra, ephedra extract, ephedra herb powder, ma huang, epitonin, ephedrine, Chinese ephedra, Mormon tea, and herbal ecstasy.
Many products have been voluntarily recalled, but still some ephedra products continue to be advertised and sold.
Many lawsuits had been filed across the country over ephedra, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements.
MESOTHELIOMA/ASBESTOS
FACTS ABOUT MASS TORT CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS:
- Involves a large amount of claimants geographically diverse.
- The claimants are based on common facts associated with a single product, mass disaster or complex environmental or toxic tort.
- The value of the claim is dependant upon the success or failure of similar lawsuits in other jurisdiction.
- Involves a great amount of paperwork, making the process very time consuming. The claimant has to pass through many layers as litigation decisions for the defense generally start with in-house counsel and then proceed through national counsel, regional counsel, local and trial counsel.
If you or anyone you know has suffered complications from a defective product, don’t delay, contact a competent attorney in your state for a free consultation about your case.
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DISCLAIMER: The law will vary depending on your state, jurisdiction and the specifics of your case. The information provided by USAttorneyLegalServices.com is intended for educational purposes only. The content on this site should NOT be considered professional legal advice or a substitute for professional legal advice. For such services, we recommend getting a free initial consultation by a licensed Attorney in your state.
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