Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog

Tennessee residents and people all across the country have all heard news about Depuy Hip replacement recall from the Johnson and Johnson Company. Many people know about the effects it can have or the need for more surgery to replace the defective Depuy hips. However, many people may not know that according to recent reports, it was discovered that Johnson and Johnson paid more than $80 million to surgeons so that they would promote the these hip replacements. If you or someone you care about is suffering due to a defective Depuy hip replacement, you should speak with a Tennessee defective product lawyer right away. They will help make sure you get the compensation you deserve for the suffering you have been through.

According to a recent health report, it was discovered that Johnson and Johnson paid more than $80 million to physicians across the country so they would promote, research, and consult about the defective hip replacements. The U.S. Department of Justice sought charges against medical device companies including the Depuy Company in 2007 alleging that the companies were using bribes in order to promote their products. The charges were dropped after the companies agreed to pay fines and only pay physicians for valid consulting.

The Depuy Company’s alleged payouts however, still continued. Disclosures from the company reveal that Depuy paid almost $48 million to physicians in 2009 and $33 million in September 2010. Also, some doctors were paid more than a million this year, even though 93,000 Depuy hip replacements were recalled.

Other sources show that Johnson and Johnson and the Depuy Company had knowledge of hip replacement defects but did not correct these problems or warn any patients. Symptoms of a problem with a hip replacement may include:
• Severe or long lasting pain around the hip replacement area
• Inflammation
• Lose hip implant
• Broken bone or fracture around the hip replacement area
• Severe risk of cancer due to mental parts causing contamination to the tissue around the hip replacement area

Continue reading "Johnson and Johnson Paid $80 Million to Surgeons to Promote Defective Depuy Hips" »

By now, many of us in Tennessee and all across the United States have heard the news about Depuy hip replacement recall. Some of us may even have friends or loved ones that have suffered because of the defective hips. Unfortunately, many of us may be unaware that this problem is not just in the United States. The defective products were recalled in Australia before even being marketed in the U.S. and the Depuy Company ignored many warnings about this product. If you or someone you know has been affected by the Depuy recall, then it is important that you speak to a Tennessee defective product lawyer as soon as possible. They will make sure you get the compensation you deserve for the pain and suffering you have been caused.
According to the Advertiser publication in Australia, health officials warned Depuy about the defective products seventeen different times. Stephen Graves a professor and director of the National Joint Replacement Registry in Australia stated that at least 17 different occasions" that there were concerns about the DePuy Hip system”.
Hip replacements on average have a life expectancy of up to twenty years. People who received the Depuy hip replacements before the recall, experienced problems after only a few years and in some cases, only months. Other sources state that the Depuy Company tried to place the blame on surgeons who, according to Depuy, failed to follow the installation instructions for the hip replacements. They also tried to place blame on patients, claiming that they were careless and negligent and contributed to their own injuries and problems with the hips.
Dr. Stephen Graves also states that, “It is a complete untruth that Depuy did not have reason to withdraw the ASR [hip replacement implant] before now. We have been telling them since 2007, but they allowed it to be used on thousands of people."

Continue reading "Depuy Knew for Three Years about Defective Hip Replacements" »

In Tennessee and many places across the United States, people unfortunately leave their keys in their car. Now, many people just see this as an unfortunate incident for the owner of that vehicle. However, a Tennessee appeals court has ruled that it may have many more consequences such as being responsible if a thief steals your car and crashes. If you have questions or concerns about this ruling or how it may affect your case, you should speak with a Tennessee automobile accident and personal injury lawyer right away. They will help answer any questions you may have.

In a case involving a police chase, a stolen car and a wreck in May 2007, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled earlier this week that a person can be held responsible for a car thief’s crash if they keys were left in their vehicle. The Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit against the city of Murfreesboro and its police department for a crash that involved a fleeing stolen car and another car with three people. However, the high court stated that a lawsuit against a man who left the keys in the car before it was stolen should continue.

Sandra Newman and her family were hit by the driver who had stolen the car and they are claiming negligence against Rubye Jarrell who the car was registered to, her grandson, Joseph D. Ash Jr., who left the keys in the car, and the unknown driver of the other car. The lawsuit also alleged negligence on part of the police department for pursing the stolen car before the accident in May 2007.

The court stated that it did not matter whether the keys were left in the ignition, in the front seat or left in plain sight.

Continue reading "Tennessee court rules a person leaving keys in car can be held responsible for car thief’s crash" »

Tennessee residents and people all over the country rely on medicine to help us feel better so we can live healthy, productive, and happy lives. However, all medicines have side effects and sometimes these side effects can be dangerous, life altering and even fatal. When this happens, many people feel that the medicine did more harm than good and that someone should be held responsible. If you or someone you love has taken the drug Fosamax, and experienced dangerous or life altering side effects then you should speak with a Tennessee dangerous drug lawyer right away. They will hear your case and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve for your suffering.

In this case, the court ruled in favor of Merck in the case involving Judith Graves, a 67 year old woman who claimed to have suffered severe jaw problems after taking Fosamax. Graves took Fosamax until November 2004 and had her jaw amputated in 2006. The court ruled that the company acted properly in this case and the drug was not the cause of Graves’ dental and jaw problems because Graves had many other medical problems that could have caused the jaw problems.

Merck is currently dealing with more than nine hundred cases in state and federal courts and they are claiming that Fosamax can cause a jaw destroying condition known as osteonecrosis, and that the company did not properly warn people about this risk. A jury awarded $8 million to a Florida woman earlier in the year but later a judge ruled that the award was excessive. Another jury found for Merck in a case in May and a fourth case was dismissed in New York by a federal judge overseeing Fosamax cases.

Continue reading "Merck Wins Third Fosamax Trial Making the Record three to one" »

People in Tennessee as well as across the country want to feel safe and secure in their homes as well as the homes of their friends. However, sometimes accidents happen and they unfortunately can result in personal injuries or even death. Sometimes though when may find out that the personal injury or death occurred because of a defective product, device, construction or equipment. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a personal injury due to a defective product or device, then you should speak with a Tennessee personal injury and defective product lawyer right away. They will work with you and make sure that you get the compensation you deserve for the suffering you have experienced.

In this case, Michael Doyle, from Cincinnati, was a celebrating New Year’s Eve at a friend’s apartment in 2007 and he and five other people were on the third floor deck at the back of the building. When he got up from sitting on the stairs to walk to a table, he tripped and fell head first through the metal railings to the ground below, according to the lawsuit.

Michael Doyle’s family filed a lawsuit against Kenard Management, which managed the building, because they are claiming that the porch was “defective” based on a city inspection report that columns were rotted and had inadequate bolts. According to the lawsuit, Kenard was told about the large railing gap by its insurance and was also told that it should be closed with wire mesh. Doyle’s family’s attorneys stated that Kenard had received bids for the work but nothing had been done yet and that the work would prevented Doyle from falling to his death.

Continue reading "Death Due to Faulty Lakeview Porch Results in $2.7 Million Settlement" »