Update on Fungal Meningitis Outbreak and Las Vegas

According to  Las Vegas Action 13 News, the United States Food and Drug Administration has released a list of Las Vegas area medical practices that received potentially dangerous products from the  pharmacy linked to a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.  According to the article (available here), the following medical practices received medications that were produced by the pharmacy during the recall period: 

• The Cosmetic Surgery Center of Las Vegas
• Shepherd Eye Surgicenter
• The Weiland Group
• Valley Hospital
• Valley Hospital Medical Center

So far over twenty people have died and dozens more have been sickened as a result of being exposed to fungal meningitis, which has been linked to the New England Compounding Center's Framingham, Massachusetts facility.  The drugs which have been linked to the outbreak were a form of injectable steroid that is used to treat pain, including low back pain and joint discomfort.  Symptoms of fungal meningitis include fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and altered mental status.  If you were treated at any of the above Las Vegas facilities and have any of the above symptoms you should seek medical attention immediately.  

While it is undisputed that most doctors and pharmaceutical companies intend to help their patients to the best of their abilities, occasionally doctors and pharmaceutical companies make mistakes and innocent people suffer injuries as a result.  Every year thousands of people are maimed or killed as a result of negligent medical care or dangerous medical products.  If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a negligent medical professional or by a dangerous medical product you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  You could be entitled to past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and possibly even punitive damages (punitive damages are a monetary award levied against the at fault party intended to punish the party and to deter others from engaging in similar behavior in the future).  

Health care providers take in massive amounts of money every year and have the resources to fight claims made by victims of their negligence.  If you have been injured by a health care provider or a dangerous medical product you need competent and tenacious legal representation to fight for your rights. The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are licensed to practice law before all Nevada state and federal courts. We served clients from all socioeconomic segments of our community and we will fight to ensure that you receive compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured by a bad product, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a  consultation. You may contact the firm through email at info@connorpllc.com or by phone at (702)430-4614 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Sunscreen Recall after Reports of Users Catching Fire

Banana Boat Sunscreen has recalled its UltraMist sunscreen product after reports that five individuals throughout the United States and Canada have caught fire after applying the sunscreen. There are nearly two dozen formulations of the sunscreen that are being pulled off the shelves and Banana Boat is  instructing people to not use the UltraMist products.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, more than 20 million units of the sunscreen have been sold. According to USA Today, approximately a half-million bottles of sunscreen have been recalled. Thus, there is still a possibility that more people could be injured by this product. The error appears to be with the spray valve with over applies the product. Thus, after applying the product takes longer to dry and if the user comes into contact with a flame or a spark while the product is still wet, the product will ignite and the person will catch fire.

This is a voluntary recall by Banana Boat. Banana Boat has informed the Food and Drug Administration of this voluntary recall.

If you have any Banana Boat UltraMist product, please stop using it as the potential danger is severe. If you have any questions, the manufacturer can be reached at 1-800-SAFESUN.

If you have been injured by the Banana Boat sunscreen or another bad product you may be entitled to compensation. Please do not hesitate to contact the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc today.

The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are licensed to practice law before all Nevada state and federal courts. We served clients from all socioeconomic segments of our community and we will fight to ensure that you receive compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured by a bad product, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a consultation. You may contact the firm through email at info@connorpllc.com or by phone at (702)430-4614 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Meningitis Outbreak Gives Rise to a Lawsuit

As we previously blogged, a meningitis outbreak has occurred in this country. This is a serious national health concern that may affect local citizens in Nevada.

As reported this morning, a lawsuit has been filed related to the nearly 14,000 people could have been given pain injections tainted with meningitis. The outbreak of meningitis began last month with most of the victims appearing in Tennessee.  There have been 14 deaths related to this outbreak and the number of infected people is quickly increasing. As reported by Reuters, 32 people were reported infected on Wednesday and 169 on Thursday.

This outbreak is a national concern. Senator Richard Blumenthal has called for an investigation into the company who provided the injections. In fact, the senator is calling for a criminal investigation into the New England Compounding Center of Massachusetts, the company purportedly responsible for the injections. The New England Compounding Center of Massachusetts has issued a recall of all of its products on October 6, 2012. The company has also suspended its operating license and is cooperating with investigators.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the tainted injections were shipped to 23 states. 11 states have confirmed cases of meningitis (Idaho, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia). There have been deaths in six states. The medical community and federal government are still attempting to contact approximately 2000 people who received tainted injections and need to be tested immediately. Most of the patients received the injections for back pain, but now it is being discovered that these injections were also used for joint pain injections to places such as the knee or ankle.

Dr. Todd Weber of the CDC stated "We are not out of the woods yet[.]" At least 50 vials of the 17,000 that were produced have already been confirmed as infected. Furthermore, people can begin displaying symptoms within two weeks, but it may take several months.

It appears that the compounding pharmacy that provided this medication was violating state laws. Compounding pharmacies typically provide products that are not commercially available. According to the Massachusetts Department of Health, the New England Compounding Center of Massachusetts violated state law by doing large scale production of the steroids which are tainted.

A woman in Minnesota filed a lawsuit yesterday in relation to the outbreak. She received an injection and is now experiencing meningitis-like symptoms.

If you potentially received a tainted injection or some other drug that has caused you to suffer, please contact the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc. 

The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are licensed to practice law before all Nevada state and federal courts. We served clients from all socioeconomic segments of our community and we will fight to ensure that you receive compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured by a bad drug, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a consultation. You may contact the firm through email at info@connorpllc.com or by phone at (702)430-4614 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Steroids Linked to Fungal Meningitis Outbreak May Have Been Sent to Las Vegas, Nevada

The pharmacy linked to a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis is believed to have sent its products to over 23 states including Nevada. The outbreak which has been linked to steroid injections has sickened over one hundred and killed at least eleven people.  According to NBC News, the steroids started being distributed on May 21, 2012, which is earlier than previously expected (the full article is available here, http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/08/14297235-fungal-meningitis-deaths-now-at-11-119-cases-confirmed?chromedomain=dailynightly).  According to the Centers for Disease Control, fatalities have occurred in nine states and that 13,000 people may have been exposed to the disease.  The drug linked to the illnesses is methylprednisolone acetate, which is common used to treat patients for lower back pain.  The drug is often given to the elderly or victims of motor vehicle accidents.  The drugs have been traced to the New England Compounding Center, which is a single compounding pharmacy.  NBC News reports that the pharmacy has closed voluntarily, relinquished its state license and recalled all of its products.  According to the article, the drugs were distributed without preservatives that are meant to prevent fungi and bacteria from growing.  Patients who have been sickened by the outbreak suffer from flu like symptoms which often do not appear until several weeks after an injection.  Fortunately this form of outbreak is extremely rare and is not contagious.  Nevertheless, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the following symptoms have been reported among those infected with fungal meningitis:

• fever
• headache
• stiff neck
• nausea and vomiting
• sensitivity to light
• altered mental status

If you have recently received a steroid injection and suffer from any of the above symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately.  

While occurrences such as this are relatively rare, from time to time people are sickened and injured by their medications.  Often times these injuries and illnesses could have been avoided if the pharmaceutical companies had exercised reasonable care before exposing the public to their products.  If you or a loved on has been injured by a bad drug you could be entitled to compensation.  Nevada residents who have been injured as a result of bad drugs need the advice of a competent attorney.  The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are licensed to practice law before all Nevada sate and federal courts.  We serve clients from all socioeconomic segments of our community and we will fight to ensure that you receive the compensation for your injuries.  If you or a loved one has been injured by a bad drug, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a consultation.  You may contact the firm at info@connorpllc.com, (702) 430-4614, (702) 749-5992 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's page on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Las Vegas Streets

photo from richpettit.com

Very often in Las Vegas, it is reported that a pedestrian was struck by a car. Some factors that contribute to this could be that there are a high number of pedestrians that travel on some busy intersections and streets in the city. Furthermore, Las Vegas is open and running 24 hours a day. Thus, there are a large number of workers that get off at odd hours and are walking home on dark streets.

Many pedestrian injuries have been  reported including one recently about a young girl who was killed while walking in a crosswalk.  Also, a fatal motorcycle accident also resulted in a pedestrian injury.  There have been discussions by Las Vegas citizens about making the streets safer including editorials in the newspaper. Also, a task force that was run jointly by local law enforcement and the FBI was created by the city in an attempt to create safer streets. And while these attempts may have made the streets a little safer, unfortunately, many accidents and pedestrian deaths are still occurring. 

It is clear that further action is needed to make the streets of Las Vegas safe for pedestrians and motorist alike. However, in the mean time it is important to protect yourself. If you are a pedestrian, please be very aware of your surroundings and try to stay in well-lit areas. Also, try to avoid crossing high speed highways. 

If you unfortunately have already been injured in an accident, you need to know your rights. Pedestrians that are injured in traffic accidents might have legal claims against the drivers which would help cover medical expenses and lost wages. If you have been injured, please contact Connor & Connor PLLC today for an initial consultation. Please call 702.430.4614 or email info@connorpllc.com to set up a free consultation.