At Purdue’s disposal is Chapter 11 bankruptcy which can help offset some of the costs associated with the thousands of claims filed against the company. Many of these claims are for wrongful death. Families that lost loved ones who never woke up. Some of these claims are for the toll the opioids took on individual people’s lives. They lost their jobs. They’re alienated from their families. And now they have to live with the addiction for the rest of their lives.

Now that Purdue is in federal bankruptcy court, four individuals whose lives were changed forever by their medication have a chance to see that their interests are being met.

What the Purdue Bankruptcy Means for Victims

Generally speaking, it means the victims are about to get screwed. However, when you’re responsible for a major public health crisis, squirming your way out of paying your debts by appealing to the bankruptcy court isn’t and shouldn’t be as easy. The bankruptcy committee is generally made out of interested parties. It’s not unprecedented that victims of a company have seats at the table. It’s unique because these individuals are victims who have personal injury claims against the company.

A typical bankruptcy committee is composed of creditors who have a financial stake in how the bankruptcy unfolds. Indeed, there are several such creditors already on the committee. But those with personal injury claims against Purdue are also now creditors. And they will be looking out for the interests of individuals

The committee will decide how much Purdue will pay and how that money is spent. They have the power to investigate the scope of the Sackler family’s involvement in the opioid crisis and may be able to get more money from there.

The four are a mother whose child was born addicted to opioids, a grandfather, a man who is still in recovery for opioid addiction, and a mother who lost her son to an overdose. The deal reached by a number of states excluded their voices from the process. This move is a conciliatory gesture meant to defray the emotional toll that the drugs had on their lives. But there are millions more like them with similar stories about how opioids destroyed their lives.

Talk to a Miami Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you’ve been injured by a defective product or an act of negligence, call the Miami personal injury attorneys at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. today. We will examine your case free of charge. Give us a call or talk to us online to set up a free consultation today.

Resource:

vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/7/15724054/opioid-epidemic-lawsuits-purdue-oxycontin

https://www.goldfarbpa.com/toxic-waste-lawsuit-allowed-to-move-forward/

Health Risks

PPI class drugs have been shown to cause magnesium and calcium deficiencies with long-term use.  Calcium deficiencies will lead to a condition called hypocalcemia, which causes bone dissolution, brittle bones (often leading to spinal injury and the inability to walk), eye damage, and abnormal heartbeat.  Other symptoms can include cognitive issues like memory loss and hallucinations, muscle spasms, numbness in the hands, feet and depression.

Magnesium deficiencies will eventually also lead to a number of serious medical issues, most notably cardiac issues such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and heart attacks.  In addition, lack of magnesium can greatly increase an individual’s chances of developing kidney stones, PMS/menstrual cramps, muscle spasms, convulsions, and some forms of cancer.

Other Issues

Other studies conducted by the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and Royal Brisbane and the Women’s Hospital in Australia have linked use of PPI class medications to a highly increased (between a 25% and 50% increased likelihood) risk of developing chronic kidney disease.  These medications have already been linked to more short term kidney problems such as acute kidney injuries and interstitial nephritis in the past, however new data is showing that these may be precursors to much more dangerous kidney problems.

In addition to the major risks that have been highlighted by recent studies, Nexium and similar medications have been reported to cause, or possibly have caused, a long list of other medical issues, including: edema, tachycardia, goiters, ulcerative stomatitis, anemia, fibromyalgia, tremor, vertigo, higher rates of bacterial infection, vitamin B12 deficiencies, and a variety of other problems.

Overprescription

Around 120 million prescriptions costing roughly $14 billion were written for PPI class medications such as Nexium and Prilosec last year, an estimated 69% of which were for “off-label” uses—uses that have not been approved by the FDA as safe and effective.  Except for Prilosec, PPI class drugs have not been approved for treatment of several conditions that they have been popularly used for, such as indigestion and heartburn.  Generally, the FDA only approves them for treating ulcers, acid reflux disease, and erosive esophagitis, and while they function in a way that makes them potentially useful for other conditions, there has not been enough research done into if they are safe and effective for these uses for the government to approve it.

Consult A Dangerous Drug Attorney Today

If you have been taking Nexium, Prilosec, or other PPI classes of medications and feel that you may have developed any of these issues as a result, Alan Goldfarb, P.A. is here to help.  Our firm has been helping Florida residents recover from injuries since our inception.  Contact a member of our experienced legal team either by telephone at 305-371-3111 or online today to discuss your options.