Topamax (Topiramate) is a drug produced by two divisions of Johnson & Johnson that is prescribed for two conditions; epilepsy and migraines. For both conditions, the drug is used preventatively. It can not relieve seizures or migraines already happening, but, taken on a regular basis, can help to prevent them from occurring. Off-label uses of the drug, for which Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil Neurologics were sued and found accountable, include bipolar disorder, alcoholism, obesity, infantile spasms, myoclonic seizures, and absence seizures. Professionals realize that because of the wide disbursement of the medication, many different people have been affected by its side effects, and need to be informed and warned about the dangers of its use.
What are the Dangers of Using Topamax?
A recent FDA announcement warned that using Topamax has been linked to an increase in the development of cleft lips and palates by over 21 times the normal rate. This side effect manifests in women who have taken Topamax while pregnant, or before becoming pregnant, but during child-bearing years. Topamax has been classified as a Pregnancy Category D drug, meaning there is positive evidence of human fetal risk, but usage of the drug may continue if medically necessary. If your child was born with a cleft lip, palate, or both, and you took Topamax while you were pregnant, or before becoming pregnant, it may be responsible for the development of your child’s birth defect.
Our attorneys caution you to consult your physician immediately, if you have not already done so, to discuss what these new dangers mean to you. Please note, that you should consult your physician before discontinuing usage of Topamax, as there may be complications associated with a rapid discontinuance.
Birth Defects Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your child was born with a cleft palate/lip and you were taking Topamax before or during pregnancy you are wondering what are your legal rights. You may also be wondering what the cost will be to have legal representation. Our experienced professionals are here to help. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation and consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. You and your child deserve compensation, so please do not hesitate.
Lawyers say that Ms. Burke underwent an abdominal hysterectomy on March 22, 2005. The medical negligence occurred when a pre-operative nurse left a cleaning sponge inside the woman’s vagina which was not noticed during the procedure. They say that Burke had raised her concerns to her physician over the next two months and she went in for medical assistance no less than six times. In the months following the procedure, the woman was in significant pain and she experienced a discolored vaginal discharge. Medical malpractice attorneys also say that her vagina had an offensive odor which Ms. Burke describes as “so embarrassing“. Finally, on May 23, 2005, her doctor elected to perform a vaginal exam where he discovered the sponge. Proffesionals note that a second surgery was necessary to fix the problem and following the surgery, Burke remained weak and in pain.
Mercedes Iverson, 86, died on Thursday, July 14 at the NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital after an “assault” by another nursing home resident. Iverson had been a resident of the Maryhaven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Glenview, Illinois for fiver years after her daughter, Laurie Iverson, saw that she began showing signs of “advanced Alzheimer’s.” Preliminary reports said Iverson had fallen, but the autopsy revealed that “assault injuries” led to her death. The medical examiner’s office said that her death was caused by craniocerebral injuries from an assault and from heart disease, and ruled the death a homicide. No other details about the incident have been released from the facility or the authorities.
Our birth defects attorneys believe that the 
Dr. Anthony Pickett, who was dismissed as a defendant, performed the circumcision on January 3, 2003 at Maternity Center of Vermont. The doctor was using a Militex Mogen clamp which removed eighty five percent of the top of the boy’s penis. The young boy’s medical malpractice attorneys said, “because of the defective design of the circumcision clamp, there was no protection for the head of the penis and Dr. Pickett was unable to visualize the head when excising the foreskin.” The lawyers working the case earned the plaintiffs $3.07 million in the settlement after fees and costs were deducted. Although the boy needs to regularly visit a physician and may need additional surgery in the future, they believe this is a great victory for the boy and a way to secure his financial future. Although medical malpractice statutes appeared as though they may limit the available recovery in this case, the lawyers were able to earn a just result for the young boy.
According to the fire department, facility workers wheeled the woman outside daily so she could smoke by the entrance of the building. The residents were allowed to smoke in that area of the nursing home. But it was not required by the home that the residents be supervised while they were smoking. According to Jim Suydam, spokesman for the Texas Veterans Land Board, an entity that runs the El Paso facility, since the woman did not suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, she did not need to be under constant supervision.
In August of 2002, Bruscato smashed his mother, Lillian Lynn, in the head with a battery charger and then stabbed her 72 times which resulted in her death. He was charged with murder but due to his psychological state, he was found to be incompetent to stand trial and he was committed to a mental institution. His father, Vito, then sued the doctor for medical malpractice because he believes that his son never should have been taken off of the medication. A judge at the trial court level ruled in favor of the psychiatrist but a divided state Court of Appeals elected to overturn that decision and allowed the case to proceed to trial.
Soland was given a criminal neglect charge to for each victimized patient, along with a possession charge for the drug. Soland pleaded guilty in May to one felony theft and criminal neglect charge, and the rest of the charges from the incident were dropped. She was sentenced to 120 days in jail and was credited for 67 days served. She must also complete five years of probation.
It is suggested that extreme time pressures may be the number one cause of wrong-site surgeries. Doctors are extremely busy people, and their schedules are not getting any less full. However, this does not mean that innocent people should be injured. Some surgeons have suggested a protocol to prevent wrong-site injury by requiring a pre-operative verification of important details, marking the surgical site, and a mandatory timeout to confirm everything before the procedure begins. When steps like these are not followed, preventable injuries occur. Sometimes, those injuries are fatal.
A 57-year-old woman was found unresponsive this week outside of the Riverview Nursing Home in Bossier City, Louisiana where she lived. The autopsy has not yet been performed, but Bossier Coroner Dr. John Chandler said there were indications that the death was heat-related. It was 100 degrees with a heat index of 106 degrees in Bossier City on the day the woman was found. She had been missing for several hours before a staff member of the nursing home found her a little after 6 p.m. She was taken to Willis Knighton Pierremont hospital in Shreveport where she was pronounced dead.