Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
A Texas woman has filed a wrongful death suit against the manufacturers of the drug GranuFlo, alleging that the manufacturer is responsible for the death of her husband.
The drug at the center of the lawsuit, called GranuFlo, is used for treatment in dialysis patients who are suffering from kidney failure. The integral chemical component of the drug acts by removing blood impurities which the kidneys can no longer remove on their own.
Her lawsuit claims that Fresenius USA is responsible for the death of her husband, who died two days after he received treatment with the drug. The suit alleges that the plaintiff’s husband began to feel ill immediately following a dialysis treatment which involved the administration of GranuFlo. Two days after the treatment, the plaintiff called an ambulance for her husband who was complaining of pain in his chest and head. However, her husband had died of a heart attack before any help arrived. Her suit alleges that in addition to being responsible for her husband’s death, the manufacturer may have known of the risks of the product as early as 2003, yet no action was taken. The woman seeks damages for her husband’s pain and suffering as well as for the loss of her spouse.
March 29, 2012 was the date the FDA instituted the initial class 1 recall for Naturalyte and Granuflo Acid Concentrate. A Class 1 recall is the highest priority recall issued by the FDA, and is only issued in cases where there is a significant chance that a drug can cause serious injury or death. These products have been linked to elevated levels of bicarbonate in treated blood, which can potentially cause stroke, heart attack and death. Almost immediately, lawsuits began to be filed nationwide.
For example, one of the initial complaints, filed July 27, 2012, alleges that, “Fresenius had knowledge that there was a significant increased risk of cardiac arrest and death during hemodialysis treatments associated with their Granuflo dialysis concentrate product”.
The complaint further alleges that, due to the Granuflo formulation using sodium diacetate, the product could, “[potentially] lead to significantly increased bicarbonate levels and the associated risks of heart attack, cardio pulmonary arrest, and/or sudden cardiac death.”
If your loved one has died as a result of taking this or another dialysis drug, or other compound, you may be eligible to bring a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death lawsuits are claims brought by family members who have lost loved ones due to someone else’s wrongdoing, which in this case could potentially be the drug manufacturer or its agents. Generally speaking, these types of suits serve to compensate the family members for the loss of the victim’s life and his or her companionship, love, and financial support, which the family would have continued to receive if the victim had not died. Only certain people are permitted to file wrongful death lawsuits; these people can include a spouse, child, or other specified relative.
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has many years of experience working with individuals and families who have suffered because of the wrongful death of loved ones. We have represented families who have suffered from wrongful deaths caused by a variety of circumstances, including car accidents, medical malpractice, hospital negligence and other traumatic events. If you believe that your loved one died because of the wrongful or negligent actions of another, please do not hesitate to contact us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949 in order to schedule your free initial consultation.
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