Pradaxa® risks are high. Serious side effects of the popular anticoagulant have surfaced and resulted in lawsuits. While the FDA approved the controversial drug in October 2010 as  an alternative to the blood thinner Warfarin, the effectiveness and life-threatening side effects have many doubting the drugs usefulness.   Allegations have been raised about flaws in the drug’s large clinical trial and the manufacturer’s failure to adequately warn consumers about the risks of serious side effects thus constituting a defective product.

The Dangerous Effects of Pradaxa

Almost 1000 Pradaxa® adverse effects were reported in just the first quarter of 2011. These included:

• 120 deaths
• 25 cases resulting in permanent disability
• 543 adverse reactions requiring hospitalization

A vast number of the adverse events reported events involved hemorrhaging, more than warfarin or any other monitored drug. Warfarin ranked second with 176 cases.  Pradaxa has thus proven not to be a safe alternative to Warfarin.

When serious bleeding events occur in patients taking warfarin, vitamin K can be administered. Unfortunately there is simply no solution for patients taking Pradaxa® that have experienced the same problem.

Pradaxa® is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim a massive company that was likely aware of the large number of adverse events reported.

By the end of October 2011, the number of reported deaths related to Pradaxa had increased to 260.

Pradaxa® Lawsuits against Drug Manufacturer

In Pradaxa® lawsuits Boehringer Ingelheim will  face allegations of failure to adequately research the drug before marketing it to consumers or knowingly marketing a defective drug. The manufacturer could be accused of failing to adequately warn consumers about the drug’s risk for life-threatening and fatal side effects.

In addition, Pradaxa® lawsuits may raise questions about Pradaxa being marketed as a superior alternative to Warfarin which it clearly is not.

Potential Pradaxa® Lawsuits Reviewed

Ryan R. Bradley, and the other Partners at Phebus & Koester, LLP are reviewing claims in Central Illinois and and across for merits deserving of a lawsuit. If you or a loved one experienced serious side effects while taking the drug, we urge you to speak with an attorney experienced in handling cases of this type and magnitude now.

Phebus & Koester, LLP is a local, Urbana Illinois Law Firm that has vast experience in mass tort litigation.  We are committed to our clients and are not a volume-based referral service.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now realized the threat that Actos carries.  Consequently, it issued a safety announcement June 15, 2011 that there may be a connection between using Actos for more than one year and a risk of bladder cancer.  This is a very important date.  This means that if you are impacted by Actos you have been on notice for a year.  

France conducted a 3-year study of the drug and, as a result of its findings on Actos’ side effects, the country banned the drug on June 10, 2011. Germany did too.  The US has not done so yet.  This means that you must take matters into your own hands.

If you or a loved one has taken Actos and has developed bladder cancer, and experienced attorney can help get the damages that you deserve.  If you live in Central Illinois, Champaign, Urbana, Decatur, Danville, or Springfield, consider the lawyers at Phebus & Koester, LLP.  Ryan Bradley and the rest of the Phebus & Koeste, LLP team have mass tort experience and offer individualized service.

Those individuals living in Illinois and beyond who have taken the popular diabetes drug Actos, and have experienced side effects, can now file directly in Illinois State Court in Chicago Illinois.  This is a remarkable advantage to having a case moved from state court to Federal Court and every Actos victim should be aware.

Actos is the most popular medication in the world for the control of type II diabetes.  However, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed European drug regulators recently and warned that the drug can have serious health risks, such as an increase in the occurrence of bladder cancer, among those taking the drug long-term.  Many individuals in Illinois presently take, or are taking Actos.

The FDA estimates that over 2 million people in the United States alone took Actos in 2010.  Of these, many will experience severe personal injury as a result.

If you or a loved one, have taken Actos, you should contact an experienced products liability.  Ryan Bradley, the author of this Blog, and his firm Phebus & Koester, LLP have handled many products liability cases and are focusing on residents of Champaign County and throughout Central Illinois.  

My 90-year-old grandmother recently received a phone call from a polite young woman that informed her that she was at risk of identity theft.  She agreed to have her checking account monitored and to told the polite woman her bank account number and routing number along, of course, with her banking institution name.  You know how the story ends, the call was the thief and within a month, my grandmother’s account was $1,000.00 lighter.  My grandmother lives alone after my grandfather passed away a few years ago.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation  if you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scam soften involve offers of free prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations, and more recently, identify theft protection.

The following are signs that a call may be fraudulent:

• “You must act now, or the offer won’t be good.” The caller is applying pressure.
• “You’ve won a free gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.  Once access to accounts is granted, the sky is the limit for charges.
• “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
• “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone, including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.  This is because the company is probably poorly rated, or not even a company at all.

Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Fraud:

It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the telephone.  This is true despite efforts by the Illinois legislator to combat fraud by establishing the Consumer Fraud Act.  Therefore,  before you buy anything by telephone, remember the Illinois Plaintiff’s Lawyer’s Top Five Rules:

• Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company.
• Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity.  Get it all in writing and then send a check in.
• Do your homework.  Better Business Bureaus, state attorneys general, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups may have information relevant to your caller.
• Obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
• Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.
• Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you to make a snap decision.

If you or a loved one were defrauded by a telemarketing company, considering hiring an attorney to assist with the return of your money.  Ryan Bradley and Phebus & Koester, LLP are knowledgeable in the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, and enjoy advocating for the elderly.

As the University of Illinois celebrates Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day in Champaign-Urbana, apartment balcony collapses present a real danger to revelers.  Each year many people are injured or killed from apartment balcony collapses.  The solution to this problem is simple: stay inside.  If, however, that is not part of the plan, take the following precautions before taking the party outside.

1.   Be aware of the number of people on the balcony.  If there are too many people, do not attempt to go onto it.

2.   Never climb up baconies.  This seems obvious, but one will be surprised at the injuries that occur when people try to scale balconies.

3.   If you are going to drink alcohol, do so responsibly, and do not drink excessively on balconies.

If, the unfortunate does occur to you or a loved one, you may have a potential lawsuit that would allow you to recover monetary compensation.  Ryan R. Bradley and the attorneys at Phebus & Koester, LLP are experienced in these matters.  Legal representation is vital if one is hoping to collect any money as a result of injuries relating to a balcony collapse.

Pioglitazone, know by many as Actos, is a Type 2 diabetes drug which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, heart disease and death.  More notably, individuals who took Actos have in many circumstances had an increased risk of bladder cancer, kidney damage, liver damage, and brittle bones. It is imperative that if you or a loved one or family member has taken Actos or any other derivative thereof, such as, Actoplus met, Actoplus met XR, or duetact, that you closely monitor your condition.  If you are developing symptoms, contact a doctor immediately.  If  you have already been damaged by Actos or its derivatives, please contact an attorney with mass tort experience in order to protect your right to possible compensation. Ryan Bradley and the lawyers at Phebus & Koester, LLP have mass tort and especially defective product experience.

Another diabetes medication, Avandia, has also been linked to severe side effects such as heart problems and even death.  Actos was frequently prescribed as an alternative to Avandia. Doctors believed that Actos would deliver the benefit of Avandia without the risks.  . However, in 2010 a scholarly study found that both drugs carry the same risk of heart problems and death. In responce to these findings, the Food and Drug Administration, in a move that shocked many in the defective product community, restricted Avandia and left Actos almost unscathed.

The Money Keeps Flowing

Actos is owned and marketed by  Takeda Pharmaceuticals who, in 2008, raked in 2.4 billion on the drug whichwas the number ten seller worldwide.   Takeda Pharmaceuticals undoubtedly has massive insurance policies in place to handle the onslaught of lawsuits.

Call Ryan Bradley at Phebus & Koester, LLP is you or a loved one has taken Actos and is experiencing symptom of an adverse reaction.   Based in Urbana, Illinois, Phebus & Koester, LLP attains national prominence while maintaining personalized hometown service.

Topamax has been linked to sever birth defects in children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant.

Topiramate, also know as Topamax, is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for, and most frequently prescribed for, the prevention of migraines. It is also used to treat epilepsy in children and adults, and it was originally used as an anticonvulsant. In children, it is indicated for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a disorder that causes seizures and developmental delay. Psychiatrists have used topiramate to treat bipolar disorder as well.

If you or a loved one took Topamax while you were pregnant, you may have a claim. You could be able to file a Topamax Lawsuit if your child developed birth defects and you used the drug during pregnancy . Resulting defects include cleft palate, cleft lip, spinal bifida or other limb or facial malformations. The FDA has put out a Topamax warning that women who are pregnant are more likely to have to an infant that has cleft palate, cleft lip or other facial malformations and advised healthcare providers to offer alternative therapies to women who are pregnant or will become pregnant to prevent Topamax birth defects.

The drug is manufactured by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical which is a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary and was already fined $81 Million in a previous Topamax lawsuit concerning making false statements about this drug. Furthermore, Johnson & Johnson is also on the hook for the DePuy ASR hip prosthesis that have been previously discussed on this website.

If you or a loved one has taken Topamax while pregnant and suffered any of the related side effects, please consider consulting a qualified attorney. In central Illinois, the lawyers at Phebus & Koester, LLP have experience with many types of defective drugs and medical devices. Contact Ryan R. Bradley with any questions that you may have.

It appears that the infamous DePuy ASR may now only be the tip of the iceberg.  As I wrote about a few weeks ago, the DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal Acetabular Cup System is now the center of a great deal of attention from the medical device community. The Pinnacle has not been recalled, however many attorneys and doctors are beginning to believe that a recall is likely to come in the future.   The company maintains that there is no defect in the design or manufacture of the Pinnacle hip replacement but one DePuy Pinnacle lawsuit alleges that the company is concealing the defect.  The same court papers allege that DePuy has misrepresented that the hip replacement is a safe and effective for its intended use.

DePuy Pinnacle Problems Include:

• Hip pain, either consistent or sporadic.
• Total ailure
• Difficulty walking or standing
• Component Movement
• Loosening of the DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement hardware
• Need for hip replacement revision surgery
• Metal poisoning

DePuy Pinnacle Lawsuits

The hip implant recall attorneys at Phebus & Koester, LLP are currently investigating claims from patients who were implanted with the DePuy Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System.  Interestingly, many of these individuals were implanted with the DePuy Pinnacle after the recalled DePuy ASR was removed. Individuals experiencing DePuy Pinnacle problems listed above or other symptoms may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages a resulting from their hip implant problems. To find out more information on your legal rights if you have a DePuy Pinnacle hip prosthesis, contact Ryan R. Bradley at Phebus & Koester, LLP for a free consultation.

A bicycle wreck is handled in very much the same way a an automobile wheel wreck.  There are certain things that the injured party or parties need to do to preserve their physical well-being, and their legal rights.

1. Check yourself out: If you are somebody you know is injured in a bicycle wreck, either with another bicycle, or with an automobile, call an ambulance or go to the Emergency Room. Even if you or somebody you know feels fine just after the collision, this may only be due to adrenaline.  Adrenaline will certainly take over in a bicycle wreck and can distort the severity of injuries.  At the very least, go to the ER at the first sign of pain related to the injury.

When you are at the hospital, try to obtain a copy of your medical records and bills as well.

2. Work the Phone: Call 911 if necessary. If other vehicles were involved, complete a police report at the scene or the police station. Furthermore, make sure that you note in the police report any relevant injuries.  This is especially true of head injuries that can manifest well after an wreck.  The police report is often a critical piece of evidence in a civil action.  This is mostly because people are reluctant to lie to the police.

3. Document what happened: Get the name, address, phone number and license plate of the operator of the automobile, if appropriate.  You should also take care to get as much information as possible from witnesses.  If you have a camera with you on your ride, take as many pictures as possible–including the operator of the vehicle causing the wreck for later use.  Have witnesses take pictures of your injuries if possible.

4. Think Like a Detective: Get pictures of the scene, your bike, and your injuries.  Also snap pictures of the weather conditions, any traffic control devices, and other people involved (ask first). Keep a record of the medical treatment you received and your medical recovery.  It oftern helps to keep a journal each day starting the day of the wreck.

5. Call an experienced attorney: Bicycle law is not complex, but maximizing your financial recovery can be.  An experienced attorney can guide you through the process.

Ryan Bradley at Phebus & Koester, LLP has experience with bicycle wrecks.

Along with Bungee and Consolidated, Cargill Inc.  now says it will not accept Syngenta’s genetically modified Agrisure Viptera corn at its North American wet milling plants until the corn variety is approved by the European Union.  The variety has also not been approved by China.

More problems await Syngenta as Soybeans under the Pioneer Plenish banner also contain Viptera and will not be taken by Bungee, Consolidated, or Cargil.

If you are harvesting NK, Garst, or Golden Harvest, please call an experienced attorney to discuss a potential claim against Syngenta.  It appears as though Syngenta knew of the Chinese and European Union stance before the 2011 planting season.

Ryan Bradley at Phebus & Koester, LLP is currently investigating Viptera cases.