Retired Players Sue NFL Over Painkiller Use

Posted on December 6, 2011 by David Boyles

A group of twelve retired players are suing the National Football League over the widespread use of a painkiller that can put someone with head injuries at increased risk. The players contend that the widespread use of the drug put the victims of head injuries at increased risk of concussion-related symptoms.

The players contend that the painkiller Toredol was widely administered to players before games, even to players that did not have symptoms. Head injury experts argue that administering this drug is one of the worst things to do for a concussion victim.

This lawsuit is one of more than half a dozen actions brought against the NFL by retired players who are contending that the NFL covered up its knowledge of the prevalence and danger of head injuries in the NFL. The players are claiming the NFL's knowledge proves employer liability for their injuries and that they are entitled to increased pension and medical benefits as a result.

 
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Antibiotics Recalled for Containing Chemical Found in Plastic

Posted on June 23, 2011 by David Boyles

China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) is forcing the international health care company, GlaxoSmithKline, to recall drugs containing Di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP). This chemical is typically used to make plastic more pliable and ingesting this material is supposed to adversely affect the liver. The recalled drugs containing this chemical are amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium.

The SFDA instructed GlaxoSmithKline to stop all production and distribution of the tainted medication and any medicine that has already been sold must be recalled. Recently, this international drug company was instructed to recall pediatric antibiotics also containing DIDP in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Customers who have been injured or suffered illness due to defective products may be entitled to financial compensation. U.S. product liability laws allow consumers of defective products to sue for financial recovery for injuries they suffer because of an unsafe product.
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Accidents Involving Prescription Drugs Pose Complications in Prosecuting

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Soraya Dadras

According to an article by the New York Times, auto accidents involving prescription drugs are harder to convict and prove as a contributor to an accident or even the sole reason for its occurrence. One of the issues that detectives and police force are facing is that there is no agreement on what level of drugs in the blood impairs driving.

 

While the numbers of drunken driving deaths are lowering in number, the number of prescriptions for painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications have increased drastically in numbers. These types of medications can all have different effects on the body and have been reported to cause numerous side effects that can impair a driver in a vehicle. Police have also struggled in trying to convict someone who has legitimate prescriptions. In some states there has been legislation passed against driving under the influence for any type of illegal drug in the blood system. Unfortunately trying to set any kind of limit on prescription drugs has become more complicated because the complex chemistry of each drug makes it difficult to predict how it can affect each person. Currently, there is no statistics available to detect how many accidents have been caused as a result of a driver being under the influence of prescription drugs. The problem is growing at such a rapid pace that police officials have now begun putting new officers into special training that helps them spot signs of drug impairment and have them pushing for the technology to detect it. 

The abuse of prescription drug medications has been slipping through the cracks of many automobile accidents. If you or a family member has been involved in an accident involving someone that was under the influence of prescription drugs then contacting a professional, like an Arizona personal injury attorney, who can handle the complexity of the case is imperative. 

 
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Three Teenagers Overdose on Anti-Psychotic Drug

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Jessica Navarro

Two teenagers were in stable condition and one other in serious condition in Australia after the three of them overdosed on a potentially lethal dose of the anti-psychotic drug Clozapine. According to the report, this drug is prescribed for extremely severe cases of schizophrenia and is not intended for any other use.

When paramedics arrived at the house where the three teenagers were, the oldest of the three – a 17-year-old boy – was found unconscious. There is no information on the status of the other two teenagers; 13 and 14 years of age respectively. The report states that if large amounts of this drug are ingested, it can cause heart attacks, comas and seizures. The drug was reported stolen from an unknown location. Since an investigation is ongoing, police did not provide any more information regarding the incident.

When a medication is prescribed to a person, it is the responsibility of that person or their caregiver to ensure that nobody else has access to that medication for any reason. Unless they are licensed caregivers put in charge of caring for another person’s life, nobody should ever have access to dangerous drugs, especially young teenagers or children. This incident could have been much worse and the teens could easily have lost their lives because of the strength of this medication. Nobody should have access to medications that are not prescribed to them, if someone has prescription medications in an easily accessible area, it is that person’s responsibility to ensure that they are kept in a safe place out of reach of others.
 
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