New York, New York (PRWEB) December 14, 2012
Plaintiffs in GranuFlo lawsuits have filed a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) seeking consolidation of all federally-filed GranuFlo and NaturaLyte lawsuits in a single jurisdiction for coordinated pretrial proceedings, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. The motion, dated December 12, 2012, asks the Panel to establish the proposed GranuFlo multidistrict litigation in U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, before either Judge Joseph L. Tauro or
Judge Patti B. Saris. In moving for the consolidated proceeding, Plaintiffs assert that each GranuFlo lawsuit pending in federal court involves common questions of fact, including whether Fresenius Medical Care knew or should have known that GranuFlo and NaturaLyte can cause injuries, including cardiopulmonary arrest and death. (In re Fresenius GranuFlo/Naturalyte Dialysate Litigation, MDL No. 2428 (JPML))
In light of the fact that GranuFlo and NaturaLyte were used at thousands of dialysis clinics, it is probably correct to assume that the litigation surrounding these products will be a large one, says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The firm is currently offering free lawsuit evaluations to dialysis patients who allegedly suffered GranuFlo side effects, including cardiac arrest, heart attacks, strokes, or sudden cardiac death.
GranuFlo Side Effects
GranuFlo and NaturaLyte are marketed by Fresenius Medical Care, and used during dialysis to reduce the amount of acid in the blood. In March 2012, Fresenius issued an Urgent Product Notification to its customer clinics warning of possible heart risks associated with the products. Apparently, both have the potential to cause a rapid and unsafe elevation of bicarbonate, which creates a substantially increased risk of cardiopulmonary arrest and death. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) would later deem Fresenius notification a Class I recall, its most urgent type of recall.*
According to The New York Times, Fresenius had issued a memo in November 2011 to dialysis clinics within its own network that warned of the risk for serious GranuFlo side effects, and advised doctors practicing at those facilities to adjust dosage accordingly. The document reported that 941 patients had suffered cardiac arrest inside Fresenius clinics in 2010. Fresenius own medical staff had determined that patients with high levels of bicarbonate in their blood had about six times the risk of cardiac arrest as those with lower levels, according to the document. The FDA has since launched an investigation to determine if Fresenius Medical Cares failure to issue an earlier warning to its customer clinics regarding the significant dangers associated with
GranuFlo and NaturaLyte may have violated federal law.**
So far, at least 11 GranuFlo lawsuits are pending in various federal courts. Dialysis patients who suffered heart attacks, sudden cardiac death, and other catastrophic heart side effects within 48 hours of a dialysis treatment with GranuFlo or NaturaLyte may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Learn more about filing a GranuFlo lawsuit by visiting Bernstein Liebhard LLPs website, http://www.consumerinjurylawyers.com. For additional information, contact a lawyer at Bernstein Liebhard LLP today at (877) 779-1414.
*nytimes.com/2012/06/15/health/fda-investigates-fresenius-for-failure-to-warn-of-risk.html
**fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/ListofRecalls/ucm309990.htm
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 10 consecutive years.
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