Patients

Class-Action Lawsuit Initiated Over Potentially Defective Cardiac Defibrillators

Two Toronto law firms have launched a Canada-wide class-action lawsuit against the manufacturers of implantable defibrillators that can fail with little or no warning because of potentially defective batteries. About 8,000 Canadians were implanted with the cardiac defibrillators with the brand names Fortify, Fortify Assura, Fortify Assura MP, Unify, Unify Assura, or Unify Quadra, …


Nearly 2,000 Victims Only Awarded $1,500 Each in Diluted Chemo Scandal: ‘I’m in Pieces About It’

A Superior Court judge has approved a $2.375-million class-action settlement for the 1,194 victims of the diluted chemotherapy drug scandal, dashing the hopes of some patients who objected that their $1,500 share is a slap in the face. “I’m in pieces about it,” said Louise Martens, a Windsor woman who was one of the most vocal opponents of the proposed settlement. She was one of a dozen people …


Big Pharma Played Outsize Role in Woman’s Fentanyl-Related Death, Lawsuit Argues

Sarah Fuller’s doctor asked her to come in to discuss a new prescription for her chronic pain, but a drug company sales rep did most of the talking. “She didn’t say anything about risk,” said David Fuller, who accompanied his 32-year-old daughter to the Cherry Hill medical office. Sarah was given Subsys, a fast-acting opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin.


Canadian Patients Join Class-Action Suit Over Recalled Hernia Mesh

Some Canadian hernia surgery patients have launched a class-action lawsuit against the maker of a now-recalled surgical mesh, claiming they weren’t warned of its dangers. Patients are speaking out about a surgical device called Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, which was used in Canada up until last year, when it was recalled and pulled from the market over concerns about higher rates of …


BuyER Beware: Federal Lawsuit Calls Charges Unconscionable

(Photo: KUSA) KUSA – Citing facility charges that can sometimes top $6,000, a federal lawsuit with ties to Colorado seeks to challenge the billing practices of the country’s largest operator of freestanding emergency rooms. The suit, which references ongoing reporting by 9Wants to Know, suggests the co-owner of Colorado’s 19 UCHealth ERs “actively conceals its billing practices from consumers …


Hospital Illegally Overcharged Patients for Medical Records: Suit

One of the city’s top hospitals is gouging patients for copies of their medical records — charging them twice what the law allows, according to a new class-action lawsuit. The illegal move, which potentially affects thousands of patients, came to light when 72-year-old retiree Vicky Ortiz sought copies of her records from NewYork–Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center, her Manhattan …


Lawsuit Accuses Drug Makers of Conspiring to Hike Insulin Prices

More than 29 million Americans live with diabetes, and for some six million of them, insulin is a life or death medication. Between 2002 and 2013, the price of insulin more than tripled, to more than $700 per patient. A federal lawsuit accuses the three insulin manufacturers of conspiring to raise their prices.


Lawsuit Filed Against Pediatrician in Child Pornography Case

Two women whose children were seen by an Albuquerque pediatric urologist facing a federal child pornography charge filed a class-action lawsuit Saturday alleging that the patients were “treated by a depraved sexual predator” who used his position “to engage in pedophilia and voyeurism.” Dr. Guy Rosenschein was arrested in November and remains in federal custody pending trial on charges of …


Quebec Radiologists Threatened With Lawsuit for Balking at Ultrasounds

A patients’ rights group in Quebec is seeking to launch a class-action lawsuit against radiologists in the province who are refusing to take on patients at their private clinics. The potential lawsuit is part of the fallout from the Quebec government’s decision last year to cover the cost of private-sector ultrasounds. Since late December, radiologists have been required to forward the costs of …


Seven People Opt Out of Proposed $2.375M Diluted Chemo Settlement

Only seven people have opted out of a proposed $2.375-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving diluted chemotherapy treatment. Wednesday was the deadline for more than 1,200 patients named in the class action to opt out of the proposed settlement. Lawyer Harvey Strosberg of Stutts Strosberg LLP, the co-counsel in the lawsuit, says the majority of the patients are unopposed.