GranuFlo Lawsuit News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Scheduling of Initial Conference in Federal GranuFlo Recall Litigation
New York, New York (PRWEB) August 01, 2013 -- GranuFlo lawsuits (http://www.granuflodialysislawsuits.com/) filed in the wake of last year’s GranuFlo and NaturaLyte dialysis concentrate recall continue to move forward in a federal multidistrict litigation now underway in U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts. According to an Order dated July 29th, the Court will convene the GranuFlo recall litigation’s Initial Scheduling Conference on August 30, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. Among other things, the Order directs the parties to meet and confer to discuss an agenda no later than 21 days before the start of the Conference, and to file a Joint Statement with the Court addressing discovery and other issues no later than 7 business days prior to the date of the Conference. (In re Fresenius GranuFlo/Naturalyte Dialysate Litigation, MDL No. 2428)
“Since the GranuFlo recall was announced over a year ago, our Firm has heard from numerous dialysis patients who suffered frightening heart problems, allegedly due to the use of GranuFlo or NaturaLyte during dialysis treatments. We are pleased to see this litigation progressing,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to offer free GranuFlo lawsuit evaluations to dialysis patients who may have been harmed by GranuFlo or NaturaLyte.
GranuFlo Recall Lawsuits
GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, both marketed by Fresenius Medical Care, are used to reduce acid in the blood of patients undergoing dialysis. According to a report from the New York Times, both drugs were widely used at Fresenius’s own dialysis clinics, and were also used to treat an estimated 125,000 patients at clinics outside of the company’s network.* Court documents indicate that more than 300 GranuFlo lawsuits are now pending in the District of Massachusetts. Plaintiffs allege that Fresenius Medical Care knew or should have known of the propensity of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte to cause injury. They also accuse the company of failing to provide adequate warnings regarding their use, and assert that Fresenius continued to aggressively market the products even after the company became aware of their dangers.
Last year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced a Class I GranuFlo recall, after Fresenius issued an “Urgent Product Notification” in March 2012 to its customer clinics warning of possible heart risks associated with the products. According to the FDA, inappropriate dosing of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte has been associated with high levels of bicarbonate in the blood, which can lead to metabolic alkalosis. Metabolic alkalosis is a significant risk factor for serious cardiovascular problems, including low blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia, which if not treated promptly can lead to cardiopulmonary arrest and sudden cardiac death.
According to The New York Times, the FDA launched an investigation last summer into Fresenius Medical Care’s timing of the GranuFlo recall. According to the report, the agency did so after learning that the company had issued a memo in November 2011 to its own clinics that warned of the heart risks associated with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, and advised doctors to adjust their dosage to avoid these dangers. However, clinics outside of the Fresenius network did not receive a similar warning until March 2012.*
Patients and surviving family members of patients who suffered catastrophic heart side effects, including heart attacks, strokes, or sudden cardiac death, within 48 hours of a dialysis treatment with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte may be entitled to file a Granuflo lawsuit to obtain compensation for their injuries. Read More about the GranuFlo recall by visiting Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. For additional information, contact a lawyer at Bernstein Liebhard LLP today by calling 800-511-5092.
- nytimes.com/2012/06/15/health/fda-investigates-fresenius-for-failure-to-warn-of-risk.html; New York Times, June 14, 2012
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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2013 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info(at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.granuflodialysislawsuits.com/
Felecia L. Stern, GranuFlo and NaturaLyte Dialysis Lawsuit Center, http://www.granuflodialysislawsuits.com/, 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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