California Injury Lawyers Blog

A 62-year-old retired teacher is suing Merck & Co. for her injuries she says she sustained because she took Fosamax for eight years. Lois Takamori broke her thigh bone in 2009 while talking to friends at a gym.

In her Fosamax lawsuit, Takamori says that she started taking the drug in 2001 after she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. The drug is commonly prescribed to prevent bone deterioration, especially in women. Unfortunately, there is growing evidence that use of Fosamax, or other bisphosphonates, for more than a few years can lead to spontaneous fractures. For example, Takamori, who is from Hawaii, says that all she did was take "onestep backward" when she experienced "excruciating pain."

In an ABCNews.com article published in 2010, Dr. Kenneth Egol said that X-rays of some patients' spontaneous fractures showed the injury to be more severe that what one from a small fall should have been. Takamori says that following the injury accident, she had to undergo multiple surgeries to fix the fracture, which hasn't fully healed. Not only does she continue to feel discomfort, but also she can only walk with the help of a cane.

California Fosamax Lawsuits:
If you or someone you love suffered a bone fracture or another type of injury that you believe occurred from taking Fosamax, it is important that you explore your legal options with an experienced Anaheim dangerous drug lawyer immediately. StarAdvertiser.com reports that there are 40 other Fosamax cases similar to Takamori's dangerous drug lawsuits that are still pending. Also, the media outlet reports that as of March 31, there were some 1,450 Fosamax cases filed against Merck for other bone injuries.

Drug manufacturers can be tough when it comes to fighting them for liability. You need to make sure that you have someone on your side that knows how to prove negligence and can make sure that you obtain your compensation from the negligent party.

Isle woman sues drugmaker after breaking thigh bone, StarAdvertiser, June 30, 2011

Osteoporosis Drugs, Like Fosamax May Increase Risk of Broken Bones in Some Women, ABC News, March 8, 2010

More Blog Posts:
Fosamax Drug Linked to Dead Jaw, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 15, 2011

Does Fosamax Up the Risk of Femur Fractures? New England Journal of Medicine Says Yes, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 9, 2011

FDA Turns Down Merck's Bid To Get Gardasil Approved as an HPV Vaccine for Women 27 and Older, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 13, 2011

The family of Jason Jesus Gomez has agreed to a $2.1 million excessive use of force settlement over his Santa Ana, California wrongful death. The 35-year-old inmate died a few days after he was involved in a dispute with deputies.

Gomez was at the Orange County jail on a 90-day misdemeanor probation violation when he fractured a nurse's arm on March 25, 2008. At the time, Gomez had been off the medication he was supposed to take for a psychiatric condition for five days. When deputies stepped in to detain him following the incident, he resisted their efforts. Eventually, they were able to restrain him, but not before using a Taser. Gomez was handcuffed, placed in leg irons and a wheelchair, and fitted with a pit mask. It was then that he stopped breathing.

Efforts to revive Gomez proved futile, he was taken off life support on April 1, 2008.

Autopsy results show that Gomez died from "hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy," which indicates that his brain was deprived of oxygen. In their federal lawsuit alleging Orange County, California excessive use of force, Gomez's family claims that the deputies placed the inmate in a physical position that prevented him from breathing properly.

Following Gomez's death, a new department policy was implemented barring deputies from Tasering inmates who had already been subdued by other methods. Reforms were also made to hold deputies that use force accountable.

If you or someone you love was hurt because you believe that law enforcement officers used too much force or abused their authority, you may have grounds for an Orange County, California personal injury case. Many people don't realize that their rights have been violated and often don't speak out to report what has happened.

Cops, deputies, state highway patrol officers, county police, and CHP are in the unique position where using force can sometimes be part of their job description. That said, they cannot misuse that power or someone may get hurt.

Just this week, Wanda Johnson, Oscar Grant III's mom agreed to a $1.3 million California wrongful death settlement. Grant, 22, died after he was shot by a BART police officer on a train station platform in Oakland on January 1, 2009. Officer Johannes Mehserle, 29, said he thought he was pulling out his Taser, not his pistol, when he aimed it at Grant, who was already lying face down on the ground following a fight in his rail car. . BART also settled with Grant's young daughter Tatiana for $1.5 million. Grant's dad and a number of his friends who were with him also filed lawsuits.

BART will pay $1.3 million to Oscar Grant III's mother, Los Angeles Times, June 29, 2011

Family gets $2.1 million in jail death, OC Register, July 1, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Orange County Sheriff's Department

BART

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

More Blog Posts:
Huntington Beach Personal Injury Lawsuit: Man Alleging Police Brutality Claims He Was Choked by Cops, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 26, 2011

San Bernardino Police Brutality Alleged by Man Who Claims He Has Video Evidence, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 17, 2011

Buena Park Police Brutality Alleged in 2009 Incident Involving Man Arrested at Knott's Berry Farm Amusement Park, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 17, 2011

Less than a week after a deadly collision between an Amtrak train and a 2008 Peterbilt 367 truck-tractor on Friday, the first personal injury lawsuit has already been filed. The deadly collision, which claimed the lives of at least six people and injured at least 20 others, made national headlines.

More than 200 passengers and 14 crew members were on the California Zephyr, which was in the Nevada desert when it was struck by a big rig. It has been reported that the semitrailer skidded 320 feet before striking the train.

Now, Amtrak train attendant Alexandra Curtis has filed a truck accident lawsuit against trucker Lawrence Valli and his employer John Davis Trucking Company. Curtis says she suffered permanent and severe injuries and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She is accusing Valli of disregarding warning signs and railroad crossing gates. Curtis is likely not the last party to sue for personal injury or wrongful death over this deadly Amtrak train collision.

According to California Department of Motor Vehicles records, Valli has received three speeding tickets in California over the last four years. He also was ticketed by authorities for using a cellular phone that was not hands-free, carrying too long a load, and not wearing a seatbelt.

Meantime, workers are continuing to look through the train crash debris looking for more remains.

California Train Crashes
As our Anaheim personal injury law firm has reported in the past, train collisions can result in mass injuries and deaths. It is so important that train operators and crew members follow safety procedures and proper protocol so that trains get to and from their destinations without incident. Trains must also be free from defects and properly maintained. There are also some train crashes that occur because a motor vehicle driver was negligent. This is why you should work with an experienced Orange County, California train crash law firm that knows how to properly investigate your case and prove liability.

1st lawsuit filed over Amtrak train crash in NV, AP, June 28, 2011

Amtrak Train Accident: 5 Still Unaccounted for, The Christian Post, June 27, 2011

'Multiple passenger deaths' in Amtrak train crash, Chicago Sun-Times, June 25, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Train Accidents, Justia

AMTRAK

More Blog Posts:
Metrolink Train Engineer Involved in Deadly Chatsworth Train Crash Sent Text Messages Prior to Running Red Light and Colliding with Other Train, Confirm NTSB Investigators, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 21, 2010

Metrolink Tentatively Agrees to $39 Million Los Angeles County Train Accident Settlement Over Deadly 2005 Glendale Derailment, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 30, 2009

MetroLink Settles Bulk of 2005 Train Accident Lawsuits Over Fatal Derailment for $30 Million, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 15, 2009

Two years after the mother of Cameron Cuthbertson filed her Los Angeles wrongful death lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the trial for the civil case is now under way. Mary Cuthbertson claims that her son wouldn't have fallen between the two cars of a Metro Blue Line train if only the MTA had put barriers between the cars and the train operator had exercised greater caution before leaving the Del Amo Station on January 28, 2009.

Cameron was blind. Per his mother's wrongful death complaint, he fell into the gap because he thought he was stepping into the opening of a car door. The 48-year-old man died from the injuries he sustained when he was struck and run over by the train left as it left the station. Some of the people who were on that train reported hearing him scream for help.

According to ABC's Eyewitness News in 2009, MTA video footage shows Cuthbertson trying to pull himself back onto the platform. The family's attorney says that the accident severed the Compton man's body in half.

While federal law mandates that the MTA put into place systems to warn or prevent persons from ending up off the platform and between train cars, its Blue Line opened 12 days before the American Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990.

At the opening of the civil trial, Mary Cuthbertson's Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer argued that the MTA had spent decades discriminating against blind passengers. He also questioned its decision to make train operators responsible for deciding when it was safe for a train to leave a station.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen at train stations. It is important that metro transit authorities and workers do what is necessary to make sure that no one gets caught in a train door, falls onto the railroad tracks, ends up stuck between train cars, or gets hit by a train. There are safety measures and procedures that can be implemented to ensure that these injury accidents don't happen. Train and station employees should also be properly trained so that they can execute the necessary checks and preventive measures. When negligence results in serious injury or death, the victim or his/her family may have grounds for a Los Angeles injury lawsuit.

Attorney's opening statement faults MTA Blue Line safety measures, Daily Breeze, June 23, 2011

Could MTA barriers have prevented death?, ABCLocal, October 22, 2009

Related Web Resources:
American Disabilities Act

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority

More Blog Posts:
Metrolink Train Engineer Involved in Deadly Chatsworth Train Crash Sent Text Messages Prior to Running Red Light and Colliding with Other Train, Confirm NTSB Investigators, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 21, 2010

Metrolink Tentatively Agrees to $39 Million Los Angeles County Train Accident Settlement Over Deadly 2005 Glendale Derailment, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 30, 2009

MetroLink Settles Bulk of 2005 Train Accident Lawsuits Over Fatal Derailment for $30 Million, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 15, 2009

A woman is accusing the Los Angeles County Medical Center of neglecting her mother, a 64-year-old woman who stayed at the facility for several days last year. In her Los Angeles elder neglect lawsuit, Irene Garcia contends that LAC Medical Center was reckless in letting her mom, Esperanza, lie in her own waste for extend periods of time and that this caused her to develop pressure sores. Garcia says that workers at the facility purposely mischaracterized her mom's decubitus ulcer as a skin rash.

She also says that her "gravely ill" mom did not have pressure sores until after she was admitted to the medical center. Garcia claims that staff knew Esperanza was at risk for skin breakdown yet failed to take preventative action. She contends that once her mom developed the bedsores, no one treated her symptoms or reported them. Instead they allegedly let the wounds grow worse. Not only did they leave Esperanza in her own excrement but they also failed to clean and turn her correctly.

Esperanza's family says that by the time they took her from LAC Medical Center, her condition was so poor that the bedsores were untreatable. She died a day after leaving the medical center.

The plaintiffs are also accusing the county and 100 unidentified agents and employees of elder abuse. Esperanza's loved ones claim that the defendants violated the state's Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.

Bedsores can cause serious health complications, which is why it is so important that action is taken to prevent them from developing on a patient's body or if they do show up that they are treated immediately. Elderly patients--especially those who cannot move without assistance--are at higher risk than others of developing bedsores. Common causes of bedsores:

• Staying in the same position for extended time periods
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Allowing moisture, human excrement, urine, or sweat too stay close to the skin for an extended time period
• Not checking a patient regularly for signs of decubitus ulcers
• Delayed treatment

Medical professionals can be held liable for Los Angeles nursing negligence if failure to provide the patient with the proper care causes personal injury or wrongful death.

Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act

Los Angeles Elder Abuse and Neglect Alleged in 89-Year-Old's Alzheimer Patient's Fatal Fall At Woodland Hills Retirement Community, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 16, 2011

Costa Mesa Nursing Home Fine Over Alleged Orange County, California Nursing Home Negligence Related to 93-Year-Old Man's Death, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 28, 2011

San Bernardino County Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Blames Assisted Living Facility for Patient's California Wrongful Death by Suicide, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 10, 2010

The family of Matilda Arnica Juarez is suing the city of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, the owners of the Westfield Valencia Town Center Mall, and several other parties for her wrongful death. The Newhall mother of three was crushed by a car as she and hundreds of other people watched the fireworks display that was held at the mall.

Juarez was standing on the sidewalk when a car that collided another vehicle flew into the air and landed on her. Two of her sons were also injured.

According to the Los Angeles wrongful death lawsuit, the car accident that killed Juarez could have been prevented if only Valencia Boulevard had been closed to traffic while the fireworks display was happening. The complaint notes that other safety measures could also have been taken, including the implementation of a traffic management plan, as well as a strategy for handling the crowd. The plaintiffs also claim that the city did not put together any "public safety plans" to protect and safeguard pedestrians and spectators. Juarez's family notes that there were less LA County sheriff's deputies assigned to last year's fireworks display than the year before.

Juarez's three children and her widower, Ernesto Garnica, are among the 18 plaintiffs named in the case. Meantime, Melissa Brown, the driver that struck Juarez, is not a defendant in this civil suit. However, earlier this year Brown pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter.

When an injury or death occurs on another person's premise, the owner of that property is just one of the parties that may be held liable for Los Angeles County premises liability. It is the responsibility of premise owners and event managers to remove any hazards and prevent other dangers from occuring.

UPDATED: Fatal crash triggers suit, The Signal.com, June 21, 2011

Death unites victim's church family, Daily News, July 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Westfield Valencia Town Center Mall

Fireworks Display, OSHA/US Department of Labor

More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In Toddler's Fatal Fall at Staples Center During Lakers Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 29, 2011

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed by Family of San Francisco Giants Fan Who Sustained Traumatic Brain Injury During Beating at Dodger Stadium, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 24, 2011

6-Year-Old Sustains Orange County, California Burn Injuries After Fall Into Beach Fire Pit, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 20, 2011

The family of Michael Nine is suing the city of Newport Beach, Harbor Ridge Master Association, and Harbor Ridge Estates Maintenance Association for his Orange County, California bicycle accident death. The Santa Ana man died from injuries he sustained when he hit a truck on the morning of July 15, 2010.

The 43-year-old cyclist was with a group of riders traveling from Tustin to Irvine to Newport Coast and Fashion Island when the Newport Beach traffic accident happened on Spyglass Hill Road close to the Harbor Ridge development. Nine wasn't able to swerve around a gardener's truck that was blocking the southbound uphill lane near the Harbor Ridge development.. At the time, the cyclists were moving at about 40 mph.

In their Orange County, California wrongful death lawsuit, Nine's widow and children are claiming that the city of Newport Beach did not set up warning signs or safe sight lines and that the existing signage was "confusing" and was an "unreasonable risk of harm" to others. They claim that the two associations also failed to set up routine signs and warning signs to stop accidents--despite other crashes having occurred in or around the same area. Nine's family also contends that the association did not let public agencies know about the roadways poor condition.

Also a defendant in the Newport Beach wrongful death case is the truck driver, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Nine's family is seeking damages for medical, legal, and funeral bills, loss of his earning capacity, as well as the losses of his services, support, society, advice, consolation, training, love, companionship, and comfort.

The Nine family's case is an example of why it is so important to make sure that you are represented by an experienced Newport Beach bicycle accident law firm. There may be multiple parties who should be held liable and you want to work with a legal team that knows how to prove liability against all those who were negligent. There is a lot of work to be done to start building your case, including the gathering of key accident evidence as soon as possible. Your Orange County, California injury law firm will also need to talk to any witnesses and possibly retain the right experts to prove your case.

Cycling Victim's Family Files Lawsuit, Coronado Del Mar Today, June 21, 2011

Driver pleads guilty in fatal Spyglass Hill Road crash, Daily Pilot, February 8, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Bicycle Rules and Safety, California DMV

Bicycle Safety Tips, California Department of Transportation

More Blog Posts:
Woman Charged in Fatal Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Was Drunk and Texting, Say Authorities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 16, 2011

Driver Charged in Deadly Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Had Received at Least 16 Traffic Ticket Citations Since 2005, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 24, 2011

Preventing Orange County, California Distracted Driving Accidents: CHP Cracks Down on Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging In Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano, and Westminster, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 10, 2011

A woman who claims that a message therapist tried to rape her has filed a Laguna Beach injury lawsuit. The plaintiff says that Mark Peregil Valenzon attempted to sexually assault her on Mother's Day at the Massage Envy parlor. The alleged victim is suing parlor owners Barbara and John Meeks, as well as Valenzon, who is from Lake Forest.

The plaintiff contends that the spa's owners failed to help her while the alleged assault incident was taking place. She claims that about halfway through the massage, Valenzon took off his belt and started to breath heavily before pulling her underwear down. She says that when she saw that Valenzon had his pants down and appeared poised to climb on top of her, she screamed and then ran out of the massage room. The woman says that staff ignored her and she had to call police herself.

According to the plaintiff's Orange County, California personal injury complaint, since the attempted rape, she cannot perform properly at school or at work or easily tend to normal tasks. She is also scared to be alone. The plaintiff is seeking damages for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence per se, violation of right to privacy, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision.

Sexual Assault on Other People's Property
If you have been the victim of sexual assault or even attempted assault and the incident occurred on someone else's premise, you may have grounds for a Laguna Beach premises liability complaint against the property owner even if he or she had nothing to do with the actual assault. Premise owners must make sure that there are no hazardous situations or conditions or dangerous persons on the grounds that could cause you to become the victim of any crime--especially one that inflicts physical, psychological, sexual, or emotional injuries. You also may have grounds for a case against your assailant.

Spa sued over alleged rape attempt, Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, June 16, 2011

Lawsuit: Massage Envy Trip Turned Into Sexual Assault in Laguna Beach, OC Weekly, June 15, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Massage Envy

More Blog Posts:
Jaycee Dugard to Receive $20 Million California Personal Injury Settlement for Kidnapping, California Injury Lawyers Blog, July 12, 2010

Los Angeles Car Accident: Lawsuit Blames the County, the City of Santa Clarita Over Woman's Wrongful Death While Watching July 4 Fireworks, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 24, 2011

Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In Toddler's Fatal Fall at Staples Center During Lakers Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 29, 2011

In Tseng v. Mazzocco Ambulatory Surgery Center, a $2.25 million Los Angeles County medical malpractice verdict has been awarded to a patient who sustained an anoxic brain injury while undergoing eye surgery. The plaintiff's legal team had accused Ambulatory Surgery Center of medical negligence for allowing the mistake to occur.

Per the case files, when the plaintiff had eye surgery for a prosthetic lens implant, the medical center and the anesthesiologist reportedly knew that that the patient a serious, preexisting kidney disease and was also suffering from diabetes. The plaintiff claims that while he was sedated the anesthesiologist left him unattended with nurses that lacked the license or training to treat someone in his state. After suffering a reaction to the anesthesia, he went into a deeper state of sedation than he should have and stopped breathing for long enough that he developed an anoxic brain injury known as a cerebral hypoxia.

The plaintiff's attorney contends that this particular anesthesiologist, who allegedly has a habit of leaving patients while they are sedated, did not provide the patient with a high standard of care. A Los Angeles anesthesiology malpractice settlement has been reached with this doctor.

Anesthesia is used to allow a patient to not experience pain while undergoing a medical procedure. It is important that anesthesia be administered by a qualified physician that knows how to make sure this process is done safely and with the proper standards of medical care--especially if the patient suffers a dangerous reaction to it or experiences other complications. In some cases involving anesthesia mistakes, deaths have occurred. Another unfortunate outcome is anesthesia awareness where those in the operating room do not realize that the patient is awake and feeling pain during the surgery but cannot communicate the experience.

Common anesthesia mistakes include:
• Inadequate monitoring
• Anesthesia overdose
• Inadequate dosing of anesthesia
• Machine misuse
• Machine malfunction

$2.25 Million San Fernando Valley, CA Medical Malpractice Verdict Obtained by The Mandell Law Firm for Eye Surgery Patient, Digital Journal, June 16, 2011

Medical Malpractice, Nolo

American Society of Anesthesiologists

More Blog Posts:
Anaheim Medical Malpractice?: Wrong-Side Kidney Operation Performed on a Patient, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 6, 2011

Family of Lawndale Woman to Pursue Los Angeles Surgery Malpractice Action Over Her California Wrongful Death from Lap-Band Surgery, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 27, 2011

$4.6M Los Angeles County Medical Malpractice Verdict Over Wrongful Death of Man Wrongly Diagnosed by Glendale Doctor, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 11, 2011

In 2009, our Anaheim personal injury lawyers reported on our blog site about a California sex abuse settlement reached between the Roman Catholic Diocese of California and a Fountain Valley man who says that a reverend named Denis Lyons sexually abused him. The diocese has shelled out over $4 million dollars to settle Orange County, California clergy sex abuse claims over Lyons. Earlier this week, Los Angeles Times reported that Lyons was about to stand trial over criminal charges alleging lewd acts on a child under 14.

The 77-year-old is accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old parishioner in the church rectory and sacristy at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in 1992. He allegedly sexually abused the boy four times while the child was attending the Costa Mesa parish school.

Lyons, who was arrested in July 20, 2009, has pleaded not guilty to the four felony counts. Criminal charges were also brought against him in 2003 for the alleged molestation of a child under 14. The incidents are said to have occurred between 1978 and 1981 but that lawsuit was dropped after the US Supreme Court decided that a California law getting rid of the statute of limitations in sex abuse cases is not retroactive.

Under state law, the statute of limitations for a sex abuse victim to file a California sex abuse lawsuit is his/her 26th birthday or until within three years following discovery or when the victim should have reasonably discovered that psychological injury or illness occurred from the abuse. In addition to the perpetrator, entities or individuals that owed a child a duty of care but were negligent, which resulted in the sex abuse being able to happen, can also be held liable.

Diocese settles with man who claimed sexual abuse, OC Register, February 27, 2011

Costa Mesa priest to be tried in molestation case, Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Plaintiff Files Orange County, California Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Accusing Two Priests at a Huntington Beach Parish, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 11, 2009

Sexual Abuse Took Place at Hawthorne, California Nursing Home, Says Ex-Employee, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 7, 2011

Brother of Alleged Clergy Sex Abuse Victim Says He Too Was Molested by Priests at Huntington Beach Parish, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 20, 2011

Continue reading "Costa Mesa Priest Sued for Orange County, California Child Sex Abuse on Trial" »

Our Anaheim products liability lawyers represent victims injured because they took medications that caused them serious injury, health complications, or death. Fosamax, which is an oral bisphosphonate used by osteoporosis patients, is one of a number of drugs linked to serious conditions, including Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (also known as Dead Jaw Syndrome).

ONJ can cause the jaw to feel numb and heavy and may lead to dental complications, swelling up the gums, loosening of the teeth, tooth pain, jaw abscesses, infection, and the death of portions of the jaw. Women are reportedly at higher risk of suffering from ONJ because they are more likely than men to sustain bone-related conditions that require that they take a bisphosphonate. Fosamax is also administered to patients suffering from Paget's disease, as well as some kinds of cancer that can spread to the bone and.

It is unacceptable for a drug manufacturer to sell any drug that is so dangerous that it can cause serious injuries or illness. If there are any side effects, it is the drug maker's responsibility to warn about them so that patients and doctors are aware of the risks involved.

Our Orange County, California Fosamax injury lawyers know how to prove liability. We are not afraid to go up against large drug manufacturers so that our clients can recoup their compensation for products liability, personal injury, or wrongful death. Merck & Company manufactures Fosamax.

Other Possible Fosamax Side Effects:
• Nausea
• Gastro Intestinal Abnormalities
• Diarrhea
• Flatulence
• Esophagus ulceration
• Obstipation
• Eye problems
• Muscle pain
• Bone pain
• Joint pain
• Skin rash
• Stevens Johnson Syndrome
• TEN

Unfortunately, there are drugs that have been approved by the FDA that end up later proving dangerous.

Fosamax, NIH

Bisphosphonates

More Blog Posts:
Does Fosamax Up the Risk of Femur Fractures? New England Journal of Medicine Says Yes, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 9, 2011

FDA Turns Down Merck's Bid To Get Gardasil Approved as an HPV Vaccine for Women 27 and Older, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 13, 2011

$2M Accutane Lawsuit Awarded to Woman Who Developed Ulcerative Colitis, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 3, 2011

Continue reading "Fosamax Drug Linked to Dead Jaw" »

The family of Katrina Martinez, 7, and the CHP have settled her California spinal cord injury case for $4.5 million. Martinez, who is now a quadriplegic, was just 20 months old on April 7, 2006 when she was involved in a car crash. She sustained her SCI while she was being rescued by a California Highway Patrol officer.

Martinez was seated in a car seat in the GEO Prism driven by her aunt Lisa Rosas, 17, when the vehicle was hit by a stolen SUV whose driver,Thomas Lee Holt, was being pursued by a Bakersfield cop. Holt, who lost control of the car, ran into Rosas's Geo Prism, which ended up on its side with Martinez still strapped to the safety seat and "hanging by her neck from the shoulder belt of the car." It was after a CHP officer cut the belt and held her as he took her out of the vehicle that her family believes the little girl sustained her spinal cord injury. Witnesses claim that the officer failed to immobilize her spine nand neck right away and that he may have held her in a way that compromised her spine.

Often, settling can allow a defendant to reach an agreed upon sum rather than risk being ordered to pay a larger amount. Settling is one of the possible outcomes between a defendant and the plaintiff of a California injury lawsuit. In many cases, the party being held liable will try to reach this type of an agreement before the suit can go to court.

Spinal cord injuries are debilitating injuries and many people suffering from an SCI require a lifetime of specialized, costly care. Working with an Anaheim spinal cord injury law firm can allow you to obtain the maximum recovery possible for your injuries.

$4.5 million settlement for family of paralyzed girl, 17KGET, May 24, 2011

Six-year-old Bakersfield girl gets $4.5 million from CHP, Bakersfield, May 24, 2011

Related Blog Posts:
$49.2M California Car Accident Verdict Awarded to Driver's Family and CHP Officer Who is Now a Quadriplegic, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 28, 2011

Barstow Jury Awards Family of Boy $32 Million San Bernardino County Personal Injuries to a Minor Verdict, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 17, 2010

California Jury Awards $16.5 Million Riverside County Medical Malpractice Verdict to Couple in Injury Case Against Neurosurgeon, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 20, 2010

According to The OC Register, in 2009 and 2010, there were 284 incidents in 2010 resulting medical problems at seven Orange County, California amusement parks that required investigation by the state. Under California law, venues and theme parks with permanent rides are supposed to turn in reports to the state every time a patron gets medical help beyond first aid for incidents that occurred on amusement park rides.

The seven locales where state investigations took place were Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Disney California Adventure, Knott's Soak City, Wild Rivers Waterpark, Adventure City, and Westfield MainPlace mall. Approximately half of the 284 incidents reported involved medical issues affecting the head area, torso, neck, back, face, or spine. Fortunately, most of the injuries were not "serious," which means that they were primarily amusement park injuries not requiring hospital stays lasting more than 24 hours.

Also, per The OC Register's review:

• Out of the 76 rides instigated, 10 of the rides experienced at least 10 medical issues resulting in state investigations.


• Ride adjustments, employee training, and other changes were ordered by the state in 33 cases.


• 168 of the state investigations took place at the two Disneyland Parks.


• 89 investigations occurred at Knott's Berry Farm.

Our Anaheim amusement park ride attorneys represent clients throughout Orange County, California. We are conveniently located near many of the theme parks in the county and we are familiar with the injuries that can result.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 8,800 people got hurt in US amusement park accidents in 2006. This figure includes only those with injuries serious enough to warrant emergency room care. It also doesn't include the 3,600 patrons who got hurt on inflatable amusement park rides and the other 3,100 who were injured on public water slides. About half of the people who got hurt were kids.

Common causes of amusement park injuries:
• Improper ride operation
• Mechanical failure
• Rider misuse or not following instructions
• The way the ride is designed makes injuries more likely

State probes 284 O.C. theme-park medical problems, OC Register, June 10, 2011

O.C. theme park ride safety report

Related Web Resources:
CPSC

Amusement Park Accidents, NOLO

More Blog Posts:
Buena Park Police Brutality Alleged in 2009 Incident Involving Man Arrested at Knott's Berry Farm Amusement Park, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 17, 2011

Buena Park Roller Coaster Accident at Knott's Berry Farm Injures 10 People, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 8, 2010

Anaheim Fall Accident Injures Man Waiting in Line At Disney's California Adventure Park, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 30, 2010

Continue reading "Orange County, California Amusement Park Accidents: OC Register Reports 284 Injuries Over 2 Years" »

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, there may be a link between bisphosphonates and severe bone breaks. Bisphosphonates are osteoporosis drugs and Fosamax is one of them. If you suffered a femur fracture or another type of bone injury and you are or have been a Fosamax user, our Anaheim products liability lawyers want to talk to you.

The researchers say that because bisphosphonates can reduce bone remodeling, this could cause the skeleton to "freeze." If this happens, microcracks may accumulate and develop into stress fractures, including severe bone breaks to the thighbone, which is also known as the femur.

Signs you may be suffering from a femoral facture:

• Severe pain
• Deformity
• Swelling
• Not being able to move the leg

Fractures to the thighbone can be a very serious injury and normally require a lot of force before occurring. However, bisphosphonates have been linked to atypical femur fractures, which don't require a lot of force to happen.

Fosamax-linked femur fractures can occur when someone is sitting, standing, or walking. The NEJM says that within the first two years of taking bisphosphonate, the risk of an atypical fracture went up by 10 times in women users age 55 and over who were users. After that risk of an atypical fracture became 50 times greater than normal. Most atypical fractures linked to bisphosphonate use occurred within a year after the patient's last prescription. That said, for each year since the last time the patient took the drug, the risk factor went down 70%.

Fosamax is made by Merck & Company. Other bisphosonate-class osteoporosis drugs include Boniva, Reclast, Zometa, Skelid, Didronel, and Actonel.

The New England Journal of Medicine

Fosamax, National Institute of Health

Femur Fracture, Medscape

More Blog Posts:
FDA Turns Down Merck's Bid To Get Gardasil Approved as an HPV Vaccine for Women 27 and Older, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 13, 2011

US Supreme Court Takes on Dangerous Drug Lawsuits Over Warnings on Generic Labels, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 14, 2010

Darvon and Darvocet Recalled After Study Links Active Ingredient to Serious Heart Rhythm Abnormalities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 24, 2010

Continue reading "Does Fosamax Up the Risk of Femur Fractures? New England Journal of Medicine Says Yes" »

The state of California has fined Anaheim Regional Medical Center $50,000 for performing kidney surgery on the wrong side of a patient. The Orange County, California surgical error took place after the patient was diagnosed with a kidney stone on the right side of the body.

According to an investigative report, the patient's doctor faxed over paperwork that erroneously stated that the stone was on the left side of the patient instead of the right. A CAT scan image, however, showed that the stone was on the other side of the patient's body. Because of the medical mistake, the patient reportedly experienced prolonged pain and had to undergo another surgery.

One of the nurses who worked with the patient says that she wasn't given adequate time to finish her pre-op review before another nurse moved the patient into the operating room. That is were a doctor placed a stent in the patient's wrong side.

Anaheim Region has since submitted its correction plan to the state. It says that the nurses who took care of the patients were disciplined and computers have since been installed in operating rooms so that doctors can look at medical images. The fine is the first that the hospital has received from the state of California.

Wrong-Site Surgeries
This type of medical mistake is preventable and can be grounds for an Anaheim medical malpractice case. There are procedures that should be in place to prevent doctors from performing surgery on the wrong party of the body. It can be devastating to have the wrong breast or internal organ removed because medical professionals made unnecessary errors. Additional surgeries may be required to remedy the situation. In some cases, the consequences can be disfiguring, disabling, and/or fatal.

Anaheim hospital fined for wrong-side surgery, The OC Register, June 2, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Medical Malpractice, Nolo

Wrong-Site Surgery, HCIFONline

National Institutes of Health

More Blog Posts:
California Wrongful Death: Parents of Cal Poly Student Killed in '10 Pedestrian Accident Sue Caltrans, Doctor, and San Luis Obispo, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 28, 2011

Family of Lawndale Woman to Pursue Los Angeles Surgery Malpractice Action Over Her California Wrongful Death from Lap-Band Surgery, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 27, 2011

$4.6M Los Angeles County Medical Malpractice Verdict Over Wrongful Death of Man Wrongly Diagnosed by Glendale Doctor, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 11, 2011

Continue reading "Anaheim Medical Malpractice?: Wrong-Side Kidney Operation Performed on a Patient" »