Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Lawyer NY
Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Lawyers – Frekhtman Associates represent victims of contaminated steroid injections. Call Now 866-ATTY-LAW for a free consultation.
Fungal Meningitis Outbreak was caused by Epidural Steroid Pain Management Injections for Back Pain Sufferers.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), more than 14,000 back pain patients across the United States in 23 different states have been treated with a tainted pain relief medicine that may have caused fungal meningitis.
As of this week, almost 500 cases along with 34 deaths are linked to the outbreak following a pain relief injection that utilized the steroid methylprednilosone acetate, a medicine employed by physicians in a procedure known as an epidural steroid injection.
During an epidural steroid injection a doctor guides a needle into a patient’s disc under fluoroscopic guidance and injects steroid medicine into the disc to numb the area and relieve pain. Usually these injections are done in a series of three spaced a few weeks apart and provide a few months or more of pain relief. The injections are indicated for patients who suffer from bulging or herniated discs in their intervertebral spinal discs, a common injury.
The New England Compounding Center of (“NECC”) in Framingham, Massachusetts manufactured, distributed, and sold the tainted medicine which is now thought to have caused this outbreak.
Because this medicinal steroid drug was shipped to various medical centers across the nation, the 1,279 medical offices that received the product from NECC must warn their patients of potential meningitis infections. Call Now New York Meningitis Lawyers at 1-866-ATTY-LAW for a free consultation.
In November 2012, several patients who received contaminated epidural steroid injections filed a class action lawsuit against NECC alleging that the medicine injected into their backs was tainted due to unsanitary conditions and poor hygienic practices at NECC. The lawsuit seeks to obtain compensatory and punitive damages from the New England Compounding Center.
Common symptoms of meningitis include fever, nausea, headache, and neck stiffness or tightness.
Other signs of fungal meningitis, according to the CDC, include dizziness, confusion, sensitivity to light, increasing pain, redness or swelling at the site of the injection, numbness, slurred speech, increasing pain, and weakness.
Symptoms usually appear within 1-4 weeks following the pain injection but in some cases may take longer. Exposed patients should be on the lookout for symptoms over the next few months. If you have symptoms of meningitis it is vital to see a physician immediately as this is a life threatening illness.
Legal Rights
If you or a loved one contracted meningitis as a result of an epidural steroid injection, please contact Fungal Meningitis Outbreak law firm for a free consultation at (866) ATTY LAW. Under the law, an injured individual may have a products liability claim against NECC for manufacturing a defective and dangerous drug. Additionally, there may be claims for personal injury and punitive damages. Recoverable damages may include damages to compensate for conscious pain and suffering and emotional distress, reimbursement of medical expenses both past and future, and loss of earnings. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can help. We specialize in medical negligence cases and work with top medical experts including board certified doctors who specialize in pain management and can identify and explain what went wrong with the injectable steroids manufactured by NECC. Our firm also works with a nurse attorney to review medical records. We charge no fee of any kind unless we win your case and recover compensation for you. All information is strictly confidential and there is a free no obligation consultation. Feel free to call New York Meningitis Lawyers at (866) ATTY LAW or (212) 766-5656.