Morristown Meningitis Lawyer
Meningitis Cases
At
The Bowlin Law Firm, our legal team is are representing victims of the recent outbreak of
Meningitis in Tennessee that are the result of contaminated epidural steroid
injections, scientifically termed methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) epidural
injections. These injections took place at three separate Tennessee pain
clinics, between the dates of June 27 – Sept 28, 2012. The medication
has since been recalled. There are a large number of innocent people who
were treated by doctors that were unaware that the medication they administered
had been contaminated. The clinics where the injections took place are
the Saint Thomas in Nashville, the Specialty Surgery Center in Crossville,
and PCA Pain Care Center of Oak Ridge.
Filing a Lawsuit in a Meningitis Case in Tennessee
Our Morristown
personal injury law firm is here to assist those who have been infected by the contaminated
medication. Legal action must be taken to both seek justice and to pursue
compensation for all damages, both economic and non-economic. Families
that have lost a treasured family member who innocently sought relief
from pain and was subsequently injected with the medication and died can
pursue compensation through a wrongful death suit.
We are zealous advocates for justice for those who have suffered this tragic
consequence of negligent practices by the company involved in distributing
the medication, as well as any other possible responsible parties. We
have a great deal of experience in filing lawsuit and claims for serious
injuries and illnesses, and offer our services to the injured and their
families throughout the state of Tennessee.
We urge you to
contact us immediately so that your case is managed professionally.
We have arranged our schedules so that we are available immediately to
assist you. This is a terrible and tragic situation for the people of
Tennessee who were injected with the medication. Our Hamblen County injury
attorney can meet with you at once to help you determine what to do legally,
and we are available for victims throughout the entire state.
Information about Meningitis Outbreak in Tennessee and Other States
The illness contracted by these innocent patients is very serious, and
has led to 5 deaths and many more that contracted the disease and survived. The number of individuals with the illness has been the highest in the
state of Tennessee, and as of mid-November, 2012 there have been 81 patients
who have are confirmed to have contracted the illness, and several deaths.
There are
approximately 14,000 individuals throughout the country exposed to this
serious illness. The CDC also reports that some patients have a condition in which a spinal
epidural abcess or arachnoiditis that are related to having the contaminated
injections. Arachnoiditis is a serious condition in which the membranes
surrounding the nerves in the central nervous system, including the brain
and spinal cord, becomes extremely inflamed, which can have long term
health repercussions, as the nerves can become damaged and stick together,
ceasing to function properly, and can be the source of terrible pain for
the patient.
Federal authorities report that they had identified the fungal contaminants
in a vial of the medication at the compounding laboratory in Massachusetts
that is alleged to have been the source of the dangerous contaminated
medicine. The steroid injections are most often used by medical professionals
to alleviate pain, such as back pain, shoulder pain or other types of
joint or muscle pain. The rare form of meningitis is called "aspergillus
meningitis." Aspergillis fumigatus is a mold that is common in the
environment but can be deadly if injected. The CDC and the FCA have also
confirmed the presence of another fungus called Exserohilum rostratum
in two separate unopened vials of the medication.
Possible Treatments
Treatments for the disease, if initiated early, can be effective, but unfortunately,
the anti-fungal medications, such as vorconazole, can have serious toxic
side effects including liver or kidney damage. State and federal health
authorities are working hard to determine what treatment can assist those
who got the injections and will be the most effective for the particular
fungus found in the medication. The disease is not contagious, but can
be recognized by certain symptoms, including headache, numbness, stiff
neck, confusion and slurred speech, as well as fever. These symptoms occur
slowly, whereas a more common form of meningitis has symptoms that occur
very quickly.
Origins of the Disease
The company that is believed to be responsible for the contaminated medication
is the New England Compounding Center (NECC), located in Massachusetts.
The FDA is heavily involved in the case, and the owner of the facility
has been called up in front of a Senate Committee Hearing, where he invoked the 5th Amendment on the advice of his legal counsel.
There were 17,676 contaminated vials of the medication, all single-dose
vials. These recalled lots of the steroid injection were distributed throughout
several states, including Tennessee. If you or a loved one was injected
at any of the three pain clinics in the state, contact our firm immediately.
As the symptoms develop slowly, it is vital that you are very careful
and understand the possible symptoms and that your health is carefully
watched by the best possible medical professional for the next several
months or longer.