Category: Hot Topics

Message To Injured Plaintiffs – Stay Off Facebook

Posted on August 10, 2010 by James Sabatini - Hot Topics, Legal Strategies

Injured plaintiffs who have active personal injury claims or lawsuits should stay away from Facebook and other social networking sites until the case is over. Why? because the insurance company maybe monitoring your social networking activity including the photos and videos you post. And if any of the photos, videos or comments you post contradict your injury claim, you can bet that the insurance company will use it against you to seriously diminish the value of your case. For example, if you are claiming that a back injury from a car accident now prevents you from playing basketball, you cannot post videos of yourself shooting hoops. You cannot tweet how you just finished a pick up basketball game. If you claim that your physical injuries have caused great emotional distress in your life, you cannot tweet or post video of yourself having the time of your life in Cancun. So err on the side of caution and stop using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites until your case is over.

Reglan Cases Heading to Trial

Posted on May 5, 2010 by James Sabatini - Hot Topics

Reglan is a medication prescribed for the treatment of heartburn after eating, gastroparesis, certain digestive orders, nausea, vomiting and morning sickness. Recent studies and reports link Reglan to Tardive Dyskinesia. Tardive Dyskinesia is an involuntary muscle movement that can affect muscles in the face, arms, legs and overall body. The disorder can be irreversible. The FDA has slapped a black box warning on the drug emphasizing the risk of developing the disorder when using the drug. Trials are now being scheduled around the country for people injured by Reglan.

Yaz Gallbladder Disease

Posted on October 20, 2009 by James Sabatini - Hot Topics, Unsafe Drugs

Gallbladder disease is one of the dangerous side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. Throughout the U.S., women who have taken Yaz or Yasmin have developed gallstones as a result. In many cases, these women have had to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Yasmin and Yaz present an increased risk of gallbladder disease because of the ingredient drospirenone. Drospirenone is a diuretic, and medical studies have shown that long-term use of diuretics can lead to gallbladder disease. The gallbladder assists with the body’s digestive process. Bile is stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it to digest fats. The gallbladder then contracts, pushing the bile into the common bile duct. Gallstones form when bile is stored in the gallbladder for too long, allowing the liquid to harden into small stone-like pieces. Yaz and Yasmin can increase the level of cholesterol in the bile while at the same time decreasing gallbladder contractions. The symptoms of Yaz gallbladder disease include:

Abdominal pain and bloating
Diarrhea
Nausea
Jaundice

If you or a loved one have been using Yaz and have been experiencing such symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

Driving While Distracted – Growing Cause of Car Accidents In Connecticut And The Nation

Posted on October 11, 2009 by James Sabatini - Car Accidents, Hot Topics

Across the nation, distracted driving is a growing threat to traffic safety. In 2008, 5,870 people died and another 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which driver distraction was listed as a cause, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The proportion of fatal accidents associated with distracted driving increased from 11 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2008, according to federal statistics.

The dangers of driving and talking on a cell phone or sending text messages have received attention with some states acting to ban certain activities while driving. It is unlawful in the State of Connecticut to use a hand held cell phone while driving a motor vehicle. Other secondary tasks such as eating, drinking and talking with passengers also can cause distractions.

A 2007 national survey found that 81 percent of people ages 16 and older have a wireless phone in the vehicle while they are driving. The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers is the under-20 age group. Sixteen percent of drivers under 20 in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. Text messaging appears to be a growing problem with more and more people texting while driving. Connecticut has banned texting while driving. However, just like Connecticut drivers continue to use their cell phones while driving so do people continue to text and drive.

FDA Warning On Yaz

Posted on September 26, 2009 by James Sabatini - Defective Products, Hot Topics

In October of 2008, the FDA issued a warning letter to Yaz notifying the birth control manufacturer that two of its commercials made deceptive claims.

The ads in question included a commercial in which women were seen releasing balloons labeled with symptoms of PMS as “Good Bye to You” played in the background. The second commercial cited in the FDA warning letter is one that featured women punching, kicking and pushing balloons, which were also labeled with PMS symptoms, while the song “We’re not gonna take it” played.

In the warning letter, the FDA pointed to two specific claims made in the Yaz commercials that constituted deceptive advertising. First, the FDA said the ads implied that Yaz helps lessen or eliminate the symptoms of PMS when in fact the birth control is only intended as treatment for PMDD.

Second, said the FDA, the ads gave the impression that Yaz treats acne of all severity levels when, in actuality, it is only approved for the treatment of moderate acne.

In 2009, 27 state attorneys general joined together to file a Yaz false advertising lawsuit against Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Yaz. As part of the lawsuit settlement, Yaz agreed to run a new ad to correct the misleading information contained in the offending two commercials.

Yaz is potentially more dangerous to women than other contraceptives due to specific ingredients contained in the Yaz pill. These two deceptive ads encouraged women to take Yaz for purposes other than birth control. Because Yaz became increasingly popular as a treatment for acne and PMS, more women were exposed to the risk of the pill’s life-threatening side effects. If you have been injured by Yaz, please call our lawyers today.

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