$100 Million Settlement Reached In Fungal Meningitis Lawsuits Against NECC Alleging Tainted Steroid Injects; Reports Wright & Schulte LLC
Columbus, OH (PRWEB) May 10, 2014 -- A purported $100 million settlement has been reached between victims in 23 states who suffered from fungal meningitis allegedly after receiving tainted steroid injections manufactured by New England Compounding Center(NECC). Wright & Schulte LLC notes, the tainted steroid injection lawsuits contend that 76 people died in 23 states after contracting fungal meningitis from the recalled injections. (MDL 2419: In Re: New England Compounding Pharmacy, Inc., Products Liability Litigation)
According to the Los Angeles (LA) Times, compensation to the victims in will be paid from a $100 million fund created by the NECC, which filed for bankruptcy protection and surrendered its pharmacy license after the nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012, in which 64 people died. According to court records the fungal meningits lawsuit settlement was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Massachusetts where it is awaiting approval by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Henry Boroff. The settlement calls for $50 million to come from NECC’s owners, $25 million from insurers, $20 million from tax refunds and the remaining amount from a pending sale of another company, the Times reported. A plaintiff’s attorney told the news agency if the judge approves the settlement by the end of 2014, victims could begin receiving compensation by early next year. No criminal charges have been filed against NECC and the company owners have denied wrongdoing.
[latimes.com/nation/la-na-meningitis-settlement-20140507-story.html, May 7, 2014]
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded a total of 751 fungal meningitis cases across the country, with Michigan reporting the most cases, 264, which included 19 fatalities. Tennessee was the second highest with 153 cases, which included 16 fatalities, followed by Indiana with a total of 93 cases, including 11 deaths. According to the CDC, NECC shipped the alleged tainted steroids to 76 facilities in 23 states before voluntarily recalling all of its products. On October 4, 2012, the CDC and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) jointly recommended that all health care professions stop using the potentially contaminated medicine as well as any other pharmaceutical products produced by NECC. In that same month, the FDC and the CDC announced that lab results confirmed the outbreak was linked to the presence of a fungus known as Exserohilum rostratum found in unopened medication vials of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate.
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[fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm323946.htm, November 2, 2012]
Wright & Schulte LLC continues to offer free fungal meningitis lawsuit evaluations to victims of alleged tainted injections from contaminated steroids, as well as their families. Please visit yourlegalhelp.com, or call 1-800-399-0795 to learn more about your options for legal recourse.
Fungal Meningitis Lawsuits
Court records indicate that plaintiffs who filed fungal meningitis lawsuits asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to transfer the tainted injection complaints to the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts. (Re: New England Compounding Pharmacy, Inc. Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2419) The JPML granted the motion to transfer and consolidate the cases for pretrial proceedings. According to JPML litigation statistics, there are 337 active cases under MDL No. 2419 as of April 15, 2014.
About Wright & Schulte LLC
Wright & Schulte LLC, a personal injury firm, is dedicated to the belief that America’s legal system should work for the people. Every day, the attorneys of Wright & Schulte LLC stand up for the rights of people who have been injured or wronged, and fight tirelessly to ensure that even the world’s most powerful corporations take responsibility for their actions. If you are looking for a law firm that will guarantee the aggressive and personal representation you deserve, please do not hesitate to contact Wright & Schulte LLC today. Free case evaluations are available through yourlegalhelp.com or call 1-800-399-0795.
Contact:
Wright & Schulte LLC
812 East National Road
Vandalia, Ohio 45377
1-800-399-0795
http://www.yourlegalhelp.com
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Richard Schulte, Wright & Schulte LLC, http://www.yourlegalhelp.com, +1 1-800-399-0795, [email protected]
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