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The Atlanta Legal Examiner provides coverage of personal injury, mass torts, and safety issues making headlines in Atlanta and across the country. Our Latest News section brings together breaking stories and legal insights that matter to individuals, families, and communities.

Lawsuits Filed In Katrina Aftermath

Numerous wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Uptown’s Memorial Medical Center and some of it personnel in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. According to reports, there is a current investigation concerning murder charges involving a doctor and two nurses. Two such suits have been filed

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 3 Aug 2006

Doctor Says To Patient: "Sue Me"

What is a 61-year-old woman’s right parotid gland worth? That is the question in a medical malpractice case before a Fulton County jury after a doctor and his hospital conducted 13 different radiation treatments on the wrong side of Dariel Hurt’s face. The parotid gland, which helps produce silva, i

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 3 Aug 2006

Second Federal Vioxx Trial Begins

In New Orleans, Louisiana, Merck and Co. is defending its second federal trial involving the controversial pain killer Vioxx. The Plaintiff in this case is a retired FBI agent, Gerald Burns, who took Vioxx for approximately 32 months prior to his heart attack in August of 2002. The trial, which bega

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 3 Aug 2006

Paxil-The Litigation Begins

In December of 2005 the Food and Drug Administration, along with the makers of Paxil, Glaxo Smith Kline, issued an alert advising of the possible risk of birth defects in pregnant women who use Paxil. For many new mothers like Lisa Collins who used the anti-depressant, the warning came too late. She

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 3 Aug 2006

Defense Verdict In First California Vioxx Trial

A Los Angeles jury found in favor of Merck and Co. in California’s first Vioxx trial. The jury found that Vioxx did not cause 71 year-old Stewart Grossberg’s heart attack in 2001. The defense showed Grossberg had high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, and a family history of cardiac problems. Merck and

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 3 Aug 2006

Defense Verdict In First California Vioxx Trial

First California Vioxx Trial Goes To The Jury

Jury deliberations are set to begin today in the first Vioxx trial in California. This case involves a Stewart Grossberg, 71, who took Vioxx beginning in 1999 to manage joint pain in his knees and hands. Grossberg suffered a heart attack in 2001 and attributes that event to his use of Vioxx. In this

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 2 Aug 2006

First California Vioxx Trial Goes To The Jury

FDA-MERCK CONSPIRACY?

That is the question Senator Chuck Grassley hopes to find an answer to in his recently launched probe into the FDA’s handling of Vioxx debacle. Senator Grassley has asked the inspector general to investigate the FDA’s conduct and report on their findings with specific reference to an FDA senior scie

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 31 Jul 2006

Study Shows Cell Phone Use While Driving Can Be As Bad As Drinking And Driving

In a recent study published by The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers who use their cell phone while driving are just as likely to cause an accident as those who drive while impaired on alcohol. The independent study used 40 volunteers who were either talking on their cell phones, driving

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 6 Jul 2006

Study Shows Cell Phone Use While Driving Can Be As Bad As Drinking And Driving

Actonel Same Problems As Fosamax?

I was recently asked about Actonel, a bisphosphonate used to treat sufferers of osteoporosis, and if it was known to cause osteonecrosis like Fosamax, Zometa, and Aredia. The short answer is YES. All of these drugs are members of the family of drugs known as bisphosphonates. A link has been found be

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 15 Jun 2006

$111 Million Suit Filed Against Home Depot

Jay and Laura Flynn recently filed a $111 Million suit against Home Depot and the manufacture of a defective grout-sealing product the mega home retailer sold them in July of 2005. According to the complaint, the product’s fumes permanently damaged his lungs and dramatically affected every facet of

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 14 Jun 2006

$111 Million Suit Filed Against Home Depot

Vioxx: New Insight On The VIGOR Study

Did Merck & Co. act appropriately back in 1999 when it discovered the dangers of heart attack and stroke associated with its product Vioxx? A new article published in today’s NPR puts that question to the test by questioning three renown scientists who are authorities on heart disease and clinical s

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 8 Jun 2006

First California Vioxx Trial to Start June 21, 2006

With the first of two Vioxx trials to start on June 21, 2006, Merck & Co. has filed a motion for summary judgment on the case of a 73 year-old man who had a heart attack after taking Vioxx. The basis of the motion is that the lawsuit was filed after the statute of limitations had ran in California.

By M. Brandon Smith

/ 8 Jun 2006

First California Vioxx Trial to Start June 21, 2006