Kingsport Personal Injury Law Blog

Why are medical product recalls constantly increasing?

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller on Monday, May 6, 2019.

When your health care provider treats you with a drug or medical device, you expect it to be safe. Unfortunately, there are many dangerous medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, the number of recalls for medical products is steadily increasing. In 2013, the number of recalls was 2,303, compared to 3,202 in 2017.

Half-a-million pacemakers with hazardous software errors and contaminated valsartan blood pressure drugs exposed thousands of people to impurities that cause cancer. Dangerous medical products are not only life-threatening, but they also cost millions of dollars for the health care industry. Here are some of the main contributing factors to the steady increase in recalls reported to the FDA.

Why is the FDA hiding data on defective medical devices?

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in defective medical devices on Monday, April 29, 2019.

Do you trust the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep you informed about the dangers that crop up with medical devices, products and drugs?

You probably shouldn't.

Asbestos faces new restrictions under EPA ban

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in asbestos on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

After mounting criticism regarding its asbestos policy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tightened the rules on the importation and use of products containing asbestos in the United States.

The new rule stops just short of a complete ban on all asbestos products and is the most restrictive in the EPA's history. It closes a loophole that had been widely considered dangerous and irresponsible. Under the agency's Significant New Use Rule, which was proposed last year, the prohibitions on asbestos were very narrowly defined, and it would have been fairly easy for manufacturers and importers to find ways to obtain an EPA permit for their products.

Misdiagnosis is the major cause of malpractice involving children

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in medical malpractice on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

When you're a parent, you hate it when your child is sick. You turn to a doctor you trust to make sure that your child gets whatever they need to get better.

Unfortunately, doctors seem to have a particularly difficult time diagnosing illnesses in young children with accuracy. In fact, the younger the patient, the more likely it is that your doctor will make a diagnostic mistake that could lead to a serious injury.

Why your electronic health care records aren't making you safer

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in medical malpractice on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

The odds are very high that you haven't seen a physician with a paper chart in a very long time.

Back in 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) pressured physicians and hospitals to adopt electronic health records. The idea was partially to move patient care into the digital age.

A federal jury finds Cook Medical IVC filters defective

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

If you have an intravenous filter in your body, you will likely find the latest lawsuit about defective devices of interest.

A federal jury in Indianapolis, IN, has found the IVC filters Cook Medical makes to be defective and a danger to patients.

Could electronic medical records be killing patients?

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in defective medical devices on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

When you visit your doctor's office or you end up in the emergency room, do you want the doctor looking at you or a computer screen?

Unfortunately, the question is irrelevant for most patients because the computer screen won out when the majority of hospitals and offices moved to electronic health records. They're supposed to make things easier for doctors and nurses, and the care delivered to patients more consistent overall.

Supreme Court extends rules on asbestos warnings

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in asbestos on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

What happens when a company makes a product that is, in itself, asbestos-free -- but requires a part made from asbestos in order to function?

Well, in the past, the people using those products mostly had no idea that they were in danger from the asbestos fibers coming from the added parts. Those people were, largely, in the Navy.

Retailer recalls makeup after testing finds asbestos

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in asbestos on Monday, March 18, 2019.

Many people think that asbestos is only found in older building materials like drywall and insulation. However, it's been identified in everything from crayons to baby powder. It's also been found in some makeup products -- at least according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This month, the FDA issued a consumer warning regarding specific makeup products sold by Claire's stores. The warning to consumers not to purchase the products follows test results that the agency says indicated the presence of asbestos fibers.

Birth control pills recalled due to mistakes in packaging

On behalf of Hawkins Bingham & Miller posted in defective drugs on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

If you're a woman on birth control, it might be wise to take a look at your latest prescription and make sure that it hasn't been recalled.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a national recall on March 4, 2019, of birth control tablets produced by Apotex. Apotex voluntarily recalled four lots of Ethinyl Estradiol tables and Drospirenone tablets because of missing or incorrectly arranged pills.