The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel overwhelmingly approved (20-2) a new weight loss drug Qnexa. And why wouldn’t they? The FDA officials put together a 161 page dossier touting the benefits of the drug and highly recommending the approval of the drug. The FDA created this less-than objective document in order to finally get some kind of drug that addresses the problem of obesity in America. Statistics are now showing that 38% of the U.S. population is obese and growing. This is making people across the government agencies nervous over the pending health crisis that is already costing the American tax payers billions of dollars in healthcare costs. Is Qnexa the miracle pill that the FDA and the pharmaceutical community touting it to be?

Diet Pills and the American Consumer

Here’s the problem with introducing a diet pill onto the market with such limited competition: everyone wants it…now. That’s the problem now-defunct diet drug Phen-fen had. It was a mixture of a appetite suppressant and amphetamine that hit the market with no approval from the FDA in the 1990’s. As soon as it hit the market, millions of people began being prescribed it and were even able to get it without a prescription. It was alike a weight loss pill free-for-all with millions of people popping these pills in hopes for instant results. What it ended up giving them was heart valve problems that forced the FDA to pull it. In what seemed to be a mirror image of the Qnexa approval came Meridia. A “miracle” pill that turned out to put millions of people already at risk of having a heart attack and stroke due to their obesity that much more at risk. This too was pulled from the market much to embarrassment to the FDA. Now Qnexa is the next incarnation. The FDA is hoping this time to quell the inevitable frenzy to get this drug. However, it seems that there are few provisions set in place to make sure that only the people who really need it, i.e., morbidly obese and at-risk individuals, are the only ones to receive it. “This drug, if approved, would likely be prescribed to millions or tens of millions of people,” said Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Institutes of Health. The reason for the lack of provision is the pressure from the pharmaceutical community to allow this potentially multibillion-dollar cash cow of a drug to be unleashed on the public regardless of its potential side effects. The FDA gets the majority of their funding from the pharmaceutical industry, so the voracious need for profit might over shadow the greater good that this drug could do. The questions is, what kind of harm can Qnexa do to the general public?

Qnexa and Side Effects

You see, we at Phillips Law Firm are not anti-pharmaceutical, we’re anti-defective-drug. And this drug has the potential to do some bad things. The reason why is because it has half of the ingredient of the banned Phen-fen in it, the amphetamine phentermine, and the other half is topiramate, an anti-seizure drug that also curbs people’s appetites. Two drugs with an impressive list of serious side effects.

Topiramate side effects:

This drug is used to treat seizures in both adults and children as young as two. It also is used to treat chronic headaches and migraines before they’ve started. However, through clinical trials and listening to the medical community, the drug manufacturer discovered that it also caused serious loss of appetite. Qnexa is the first drug to capitalize on this. That makes one of the side effects:

  • Anorexia – A patient that is not prescribed Qnexa could not be in the proper weight ratio for the drug and without proper monitoring, may find themselves with weight issues.
  • Birth Defects – The drug, when taken by pregnant women, has been linked to serious birth defects.
  • Aggressive Behavior – This can effect your personal and professional relationships and may lead to loss of job or lower quality of life.
  • Balance and Speech – The patient can have serious problems with how quickly they think, problems with balance, and may have slowed or slurred speech.

Phentermine side effects:

This is a serious amphetamine. Amphetamines in the past were found to help raise the metabolism and help the body burn fat. It also inspired people to be active and do things that would help them burn fat. The problem was that the substances were found to be highly addictive and would cause the body to slow severely when the drug wasn’t present. However, smaller amounts of phentermine in Qnexa is intended to suppress the appetite and raise metabolism. Unfortunately, even in small doses some of the problems that drove concerns over Phen-fen are still present in Qnexa such as:

  • Impotence – This is a quality of life issue that leads to an inability to perform sexually and may effect a male patient’s ability to procreate.
  • Insomnia – This is a serious problem that could effect the patient’s ability to perform at work or conduct a normal lifestyle while on the drug.
  • High blood pressure – A rise in blood pressure could lead to a serious chance of heart disease or heart failure, particularly if weakened by cholesterol or plaque buildup.
  • Circulatory issues – This could lead to a swelling of the feet and legs and may potentially promote the creation of blood clots.

Qnexa Lawsuits

There is no doubt that obesity, is a major problem in the US, and is one of the leading cause of diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems. Many experts agree that it has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with nearly 68% of the U.S. population considered overweight, and a third obese. However, it is for this reason, analysts predict that Qnexa, if approved, will be prescribed widely, with annual sales of $1 billion to $3 billion. “Perhaps the only thing that would be better than a pill to help you lose weight would be a pill that makes you more beautiful,” said Dr. David Gortler, a former FDA medical officer on the obesity team and current professor of pharmacology at Georgetown Medical School. “In fact, many fashion advertisers promote and equate beauty with the loss of weight. “There is going to be a huge demand for Qnexa… (and) if the FDA doesn’t regulate Qnexa appropriately there are going to be a deluge of lawsuits,” said Gortler.

Qnexa Lawyer

If you or a loved one has taken Qnexa to lose weight and found that you have run into unexpected heart complications or your newborn child was born with a birth defect as a result of taking the drug, you need council of a good attorney. Phillips Law Firm is a team of experienced defective drug attorneys with a proven track record of successful defective drug litigation. If you or a loved one have experienced serious injuries or death due to the side effects of a generic drug call us today for a free consultation and to find out your legal rights.

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Spinal Cord Injuries – Car Accidents

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Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) are one of the biggest concerns in car accidents. When an emergency medical technician (EMT) arrives at the scene of an accident they immediately check for SCI. The reason for this is that they know the importance of identifying these injuries right away.

Healthcare professionals recommend that people involved in a car accident don’t move if they suspect a back injury. The first responders, both fire and EMT, carry back boards specifically for these injuries. They prioritize these injuries in the emergency room, but often times the surgeries are left for days until swelling goes down. A new study now shows that this may not be the best policy.

“The differences that we are seeing with early decompression surgery are very significant and the results have a major impact on a person’s life,” Toronto neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Fehlings said.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Study

In a study published last week in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers found that of 313 patients with cervical-spinal-cord injury involved in the study, nearly 20% of those who had decompression surgery on their spine within 24 hours showed marked improvement in function compared to fewer than 9% of those who had surgery later.

The joint Canadian-U.S. study said that getting upper-spinal-cord injury victims into the operating room for decompression surgery sooner can reduce the likelihood of permanent paralysis for some patients.

“These are patients who have a very severe injury of the spinal cord,” said Dr. Fehlings, medical director of the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, who led the study.

Researchers focused cervical spine, the area that accounts for 30% of all spinal-cord injuries and can lead to a person becoming a quadriplegic. The cervical spinal cord is encased in seven bony vertebrae that begin at the nape of the neck. Immediately below are the thoracic vertebrae, followed by those in the lumbar region that end in the tailbone.

“Traumas that cause upper-spinal- cord injury often occur from falls, sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents,” said Fehlings. “In most cases, there is a fracture of the cervical spine that results in either a dislocation of the vertebrae or a crush of one of the vertebra. In some cases, patients who have pre-existing narrowing of the spinal canal due to degenerative disc disease or arthritis can have blunt-trauma injury to the cord without an actual fracture.”

These types of surgeries often require a specialist and a lot of careful preparation such as x-rays and other expensive but essential scans. The operation involves releasing the pressure on the injured spinal cord and then stabilizing it. Without the careful hands of a specialist, this can result in tragedy.

In rare cases, and depending on the severity of the injury, a patient who otherwise would likely have been paralyzed was able to walk.

“The timing for a spinal-cord injury matters. In other words, it’s like a stroke or a heart attack. Both stroke and heart attack (are) medical emergencies… The same is true for spinal-cord injury,” said Fehlings.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Personal Injury Lawsuits

There are approximately 8000 spinal cord injuries every year in the US and almost 40% of them are caused by car accidents. When victims suffer a spinal cord injury in a car accident they can often spend long periods in the hospital, but they can potentially spend the rest of their lives rehabilitating. Not only that, studies have shown that there’s a risk that SCI can shorten your life.

However, it is hard to focus on the long-term consequences when the short-term consequences involve astronomical hospital bills of up to a half a million dollars. Long-term care can range in the millions involving:

  • Surgeries
  • Hospice Care
  • Physical Therapy
  • Psychological Therapy
  • Wheelchair Transition Services and Maintenance
  • Home Renovation
  • In-Home Care
  • Professional Retraining

These expenses can mount over a lifetime and it is the responsibility of the negligent party that caused the injury to accommodate and compensate the victim. That why it is important to get an experienced attorney to seek justice for the victim so that they can at least lead a life of dignity and regain some of their former life despite their injuries.

Some of the compensation an attorney will seek for the victim is:

  • Quality of Life
  • Pain and Suffering
  • Lost Wages

Washington Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Phillips Law Firm is a full service law firm with a substantial track record of success Personal Injury Litigation. We take the time to fully assess the injured party’s case in order to assure that the victim receives the compensation they deserve. Call our Personal Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation.

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Washington State Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be a somewhat tricky and tedious process involving lots of hoops to jump through and a pile of paperwork. Who said bureaucracy was easy, right? However, sometimes it is the process that not can not only disqualify recipients, but also bar people who really need it, namely, people with psychological disabilities.

When you have a psychological disability, depending on the nature of your disability, you may not have the ability to understand the application and vetting process. This can have dire consequences for some of the people who may be most in need of it. It could mean the difference between homelessness and a dignified quality of life.

But, how do Washington State residents in need of SSDI know when you are eligible?

Mental Illness in the United States

According to the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health distributed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA), approximately 11.4 million adults (5% of the adult population) suffered from serious mental illness in the past year.

 

They define a serious mental illness is defined as, “one that resulted in serious functional impairment, which substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities.

Mental illness among adults aged 18 or older is defined as having had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and substance use disorders) in the past year, based on criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

The SAMHSA survey follows a shocking 2010 study conducted by the APA that found 45.9 million American adults aged 18 or older experienced mild to serious mental illness in 2010.

The rate of mental illness was more than twice as high among those aged 18 to 25 (29.9%) than among those aged 50 and older (14.3%). Adult women were also more likely than men to have experienced mental illness in the past year (23% versus 16.8%).

“Mental illness is a significant public health problem in itself, but also because it is associated with chronic medical diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, as well as several risk behaviors including physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, and insufficient sleep,” said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., Principal Deputy Director of CDC. “[The] report…provides further evidence that we need to continue efforts to monitor levels of mental illness in the United States in order to effectively prevent this important public health problem and its negative impact on total health.”

The very fact that experts feel that these disorders are not only diagnosable, but also treatable, is a further case that those suffering from psychological disabilities need a social safety net in order to sustain themselves and become productive members of society again.

Psychological Disabilities

There are serious psychological disorders that can make a person eligible for SSDI in Washington State. They fall under the category of Cognitive, Psychological & Psychiatric disorders that keep a person from gainful employment due to irrational behavior, serious problems concentrating, being a danger to others, or social issues that keep them from being managed or work in a team atmosphere. The disorders include:

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) –

  • Anxiety Disorder – Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).
  • Autism – This is generally discovered in early childhood and is characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people, in using language and abstract concepts, and in extreme cases, fantasy dominates over reality
  • Bipolar Disorder – The bipolar sufferer alternates between periods of irrational manic elation and potentially self-destructive depression. Sometimes over short or long periods of time.
  • Depression – This is characterized by severe despondency and dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. This can lead to long periods of reclusiveness, social anxiety, and substance abuse.
  • Drug Addiction – A person is addicted to either illegal or prescription drugs. Overcoming them is a long tough road that may require a stress free and supportive environment such as rehab and a halfway house.
  • Organic Mental Disorders (including organic brain syndrome) – A derangement or abnormality of function; a morbid physical or mental state.
  • Panic Attacks – a sudden feeling of acute and disabling anxiety induced by stress, social situations, or feelings
  • PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) – This is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
  • Schizophrenia – A long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation.

SSI & SSDI Lawyers of WA

If you or a loved one has become disabled and are not able to work or have recently been denied social security benefits it is important that they contact the Social Security Disability Benefits Attorneys at Phillips Law Firm today for a free consultation.

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You may have heard the term “work-life” balance floating around everywhere today, but this might be the first time you’ve heard the term associated a safer workplace. It’s not a new concept, but it has become a growing concern as employers demand more from their employees translating into the employee spending less time with their family and on their health.

Studies have shown that being over worked, out of shape and alienated from your loved-ones can lead to burnout, expensive healthcare costs, and an early death. Previous studies performed by the Department of Labor Statistics, found Caucasians are more prone to injury in the workplace than African Americans, however, Hispanics seemed to display the highest rate of on-the-job injury. Now a new study has shown that worker satisfaction at home has a real effect on how safe they are at work.

This, along with strong management support and a “safety culture” in the workplace, the study says, has a huge effect on how often a worker gets injured in the workplace. This directly translates to the overall cost of workers compensation insurance for both Washington State and around the country.

Workplace Safety

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 6000 workers are killed each year in the United States. This is attributed to a myriad of reasons, however, researchers at the University of Georgia study suggest that one of the major contributing factors to this statistic is the “culture of the workplace” in reducing or increasing risk of injury.

Led by study author Dave DeJoy, Ph.D., the research team used data from the quality of work life module to assess the occupational injury risk for 1,525 respondents in terms of socio-demographic factors, employment characteristics and organizational factors. And published the results in the March issue of theJournal of Safety Research.

The authors pointed out that most prior research on organizational factors has focused on single occupations or single organizations. They feel that there has been a clear need to examine these factors across a diverse array of occupations and employment circumstances to see how generalizable or pervasive these factors are.

The nine factors they examined were:

  • Participation
  • Work-family interference
  • Management-employee relations
  • Organizational effectiveness
  • Safety climate
  • Job content
  • Advancement potential
  • Resource adequacy
  • Supervisor support

They focused a keen eye on the mutual interference between job and family demands. In situations where work interferes with family life or family demands affect job performance, they found that the risk for injury increased a whopping 37%.

We’ve known for some time that certain occupations are more dangerous than others due to a variety of physical and other hazards,” said DeJoy. “But in the last 20 years, there has been growing evidence that management and organizational factors also play a critical role. That is, actions taken or not taken at the organizational level can either set the stage for injuries or help prevent them.”

They then examined the respondent’s perceptions U.S. safety climate. The participants in the study had very diverse work environment backgrounds and occupations from offices to factories in order to highlight the factors linked to injury. Investigators discovered that well-managed companies can decrease injuries by 38% as worker opinions improve.

We can design the best safety controls, but they must be maintained, and that falls on management,” the authors said.

The researchers asked the respondents questions pertaining to the workers’ perceptions of the safety climate and the importance of their safety held by the management and the organization as a whole. They found that when a worker’s perception of their workplace was positive, their chances of injury decrease by 32%.

We used to think work was one thing and family was another, but now there is a realization that work-life balance affects performance and productivity,” DeJoy said.

Safety Culture

We have written about the safety culture when pertaining to a Traffic Safety Culture, however, that concept has stretched into the workplace. These are essentially organizational policies and procedures that establish a daily awareness of safety issues. They aren’t formalized ones, but an attitude by managers and the organization to create a climate of safety. Researchers found that the work culture including policies and procedures that applied to day-to-day operations were factors that define a safe environment.

Injury is a failure of management,” DeJoy believes. “Organizations who blame individuals for injuries do not create a positive safety climate.” In addition to factors identified by the study to decrease injuries, work-family interference was established as a significant risk for occupational injury. “These results provide guidance for targeting interventions and protective measures to curtail occupational injury in the U.S.,” said co-author Todd Smith, a recent graduate of the Health Promotion and Behavior doctoral program at UGA.“The data suggests effects are pronounced and generalized across all occupations.”

Workers Compensation Attorney

Phillips Law Firmr has a team of legal professionals dedicated to seeking just compensation for workers injured on the job. Our workers compensation attorneys will look at your case for free and give you options on what you need to do to move forward. Call Phillips Law Firm now for a free consultation.

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Seattle and the Puget Sound as a whole is known for its active bicycle culture. It seems more and more people are choosing to bicycle to work and other places, often finding that during high traffic times, they shave a huge block of time off of their commute.

Though the numbers haven’t come out for 2011 yet, in the city’s annual mid-September count in 2010, there were 3,251 cyclists commuting into downtown in 2010, up from 2,273 in 2007. Some in the community may think that this increase would naturally lead to more bicycle related accidents, however, newly released data and bicycle safety experts suggest otherwise.

When more cyclists are present, motorists become more conscious of them and safety tends to improve,”said Sam Woods, bicycling coordinator for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Bicycle Accidents

The issue of bicycle safety and bicycle accidents in the Seattle is kept in the forefront by the rather strong bicycle advocacy groups in Seattle including the Cascade Bicycle Club, one of the largest and robustly funded bicycle non-profits in the country. They work with the Seattle City Council and Mayor Mike McGinn to highlight safety issues. Particularly after 2011, not the deadliest year for bicycles, but certainly one of the most publicized.

Perhaps the biggest story of that year was the July hit-and-run death of bike commuter Mike Wang, a 44-year-old photographer and father. He was heading home to Shoreline when he was struck by a brown SUV that turned left across Dexter Avenue North. The case remains open and unsolved.

Despite the bad news, the five-year bicycle accident totals have stayed consistent despite the increased volume of riders. The Seattle area bicycle crash total varies from 359 to 392 annually. Among the 1,847 total crashes over the period of 2007 to 2011 seen in the graphic below, there were some very apparent causes:

  • Crossing car hit a cyclist = 863 times
  • Cyclist ran into a crossing car = 506 times
  • Sideswipes = 159 times

As you can see, it is not just the bike lanes and green zones that are helping solve the problem. Though the bike lanes certainly separate, visibility and configuration of lights are a big concern.

Intersections are where the crashes are,” says John Mauro, policy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club. “We need more than just separation, we need signalization.”

Bicycles and Road Safety

The deaths of Wang and others left the community skeptical about the effectiveness of the laws and policies in place and have focused on more of a bicycle-centric road configuration. However, even the effectiveness of bicycle icons and stripes have come under scrutiny.

This has also inspired some new proposals and methodology. Green zones were set up just last year and drivers and bicycles alike are still getting used to using them. There is also a Road Diet proposal already in the works, which reduces four lane roads to two lane roads with a turn lane, bicycle lanes, and parking. A road diet has so far shown promise to actually lowering traffic volume.

Other proposals currently in the works are:

  • Dexter – Sections of the Dexter bike route, bus-stop medians separate bikes from traffic.
  • Capital Hill – On Broadway, a “cycle track” will be separated by curbs, bollards or stripes as part of the future First Hill Streetcar installation.
  • Seattle Pacific University Trail – This winter, a trail extension opened joining Fishermen’s Terminal to SPU, but a court ruling Thursday brought more delay to a Ballard trail link.
  • Mercer Street – The unfinished Mercer Street rebuild already provides some 20-foot-wide sidewalks offering a safer link to Lake Union.
  • Greenways for pedestrians and bikes – The city is working designing greenways, that are offset from main roads or run along side streets. Plantings, curbs and a 20-mph speed limit would encourage bikes and pedestrians to take side streets. The programs is beginning in Wallingford this year and is expected to expand later.

Bicycle safety advocates and city officials are excited about the new proposals ahead. The Mayor has suggested that not all of these initiatives are guaranteed to work, however, many of them have basis in other parts of the country and we may not know what works and what doesn’t. Regardless, bicyclists are happy to have the support.

Seattle may well be following a positive trend in Portland and Minneapolis, where more people are riding without a spike in crashes,” said John Mauro.

Seattle Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a bicycle accident anywhere in Washington State then it is important that they find an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call the Bicycle Accident Attorneys at Phillips Law Firm for a free consultation.

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Do you remember the fen-phen debacle in the late 90’s? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the popular weight loss drug caused serious hear problems and pulled it from the market. Later, the weight loss drug Meridia (sibutrimine) was found to also cause heart problems and could be to be potentially fatal.

These two highly publicized events in weight loss drug history has made the FDA gun shy about the approval of weight loss drugs. Even though there are tons of herbal weight loss remedies that are barely regulated by the already over worked and under funded federal agency, only a couple on the market have actually been given the FDA’s seal of approval. One of these drugs is called Qnexa, produced by pharmaceutical Vivus, one of the smaller drug developers in the scheme of things.

Qnexa and the Heart

The FDA generally approves a drug, any drug, based on review of trials and studies paid for by the developing drug company. The FDA doesn’t have the funding to full test each drug on their own and independent studies are generally not conducted until after the drug has hit the market. Independent studies are mounted unless healthcare professionals or FDA officials have received complaints from patients prescribed the the drug.

Well, the complaint came in and learning from the past about dragging their feet on past obesity drugs, the FDA said that Qnexa was effective at helping people lose weight, but the raised concerns about possible long-term side effects such as birth defects and an unknown impact on the heart.

Now the FDA has opened up a review for the drug for a second time after previously being rejected by the agency in 2010. The agency posted a review of Qnexa on its website today in advance of an advisory panel meeting on Wednesday. The review of the drug includes two-year clinical data rather than one year’s worth of data that was reviewed in 2010.

In the review the FDA compares the drug to defunct Meridia by saying, “A previous example of an obesity therapy, sibutramine, which increased heart rate and blood pressure, was found to be associated with a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of major cardiac events. In contrast, the small heart rate increases associated with QNEXA occurred in conjunction with significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.”

Vivus will face the agency’s endocrinologic and metabolic drugs advisory committee. This panel is comprised of non-FDA medical experts who are supposed to have little to no financial or experiential stake in the drug or its manufacturer. They are being asked to mull over a series of questions including whether the “overall benefit-risk assessment” supports approval of Qnexa.

The FDA posted a notice today that there will be a Qnexa public web event on February 22nd, 2012. The submission date for the public to post questions is February 7th. “But, the date for submission is already passed!” you might say…we did too. The FDA does these unscrupulous things sometimes.

The FDA gives a series of recommendations in their 166 page assessment of the drug and they recommend that the drug stay on the market. The panel votes independently of the recommendations, but since FDA officials often choose to stack panels with experts who are rife with conflicts of interest, more times than not, they get their way.

Qnexa and Birth Defects

To understand the birth defect danger of Qnexa, you need to understand that it is a controlled-release formulation that combines low doses of two older drugs. It combines the stimulant phentermine (the “phen” in fen-phen), topiramate (aka Topamax), which is intended to treat seizures, but has also been found to increase the sense of feeling full.

In 2010 the FDA rejected Qnexa and asked Vivus for an assessment of the drug’s potential to cause birth defects and for evidence that the product doesn’t increase the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events. Studies of topiramate have given a clear connection to an increased birth-defect risk.

The FDA said exposure to topiramate in pregnancy “is likely to be associated with a two- to fivefold increased prevalence of oral clefts.” Otherwise known as “cleft palate.”

Vivus initially proposed limiting use of the drug to men, as well as women of nonchild-bearing age. But Vivus said the FDA asked the company to develop a plan to limit use by pregnant women.

Vivus predicts that, “QNEXA will be available with a risk mitigation program designed to inform prescribers, pharmacists, and patients about the potential serious risks of fetal exposure to QNEXA during pregnancy.”

Defective Drug Attorneys

If you or a loved one has taken Qnexa to lose weight and found that you have run into unexpected heart complications or your newborn child was born with a birth defect as a result of taking the drug, you need council of a good attorney. Phillips Law Firm is a team of experienced defective drug attorneys with a proven track record of successful defective drug litigation. If you or a loved one have experienced serious injuries or death due to the side effects of a generic drug call us today for a free consultation and to find out your legal rights.

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Home screen entertainment technology has gotten so good over the last few years that televisions are thinner than most picture frames and clearer than some of us see in reality. This is a far cry from the clunky, boxy, huge televisions that were practically a piece of furniture.

Now the family can sit in their living room, pop on the 3D glasses with a theater-like experience. However, as with any new technology, new problems and dangers arise. It seems that as things change so must we change the way we perceive and interact with the technology. Recently, this has become a massive concern for parents around the country after reports of the new generations of televisions killing children around the Chicago area.

Pedestal Televisions and Children

If you haven’t read the news about these incidents in Chicago, in a matter of two weeks, five large flat screen pedestal televisions toppled onto small children, killing four of them and seriously injuring a fourth. Authorities point to inadequate bases and/or unstable furniture.

However, Chicago isn’t the only place this has been reported. Across the country, reports are cropping up bringing industry representatives and consumer regulatory officials to attention. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that every other week, a child dies in the United States when a television, a piece of furniture or an appliance falls on him.

Why does this keep happening?

Televisions are getting larger, but unlike their boxy ancestors, this doesn’t necessarily mean they increase exponentially in weight. They do a little bit, but what hasn’t caught up is a way to have a small enough base for normal furniture, but still keep these top heavy behemoths from toppling.

Some people choose to wall mount them as a solution, but keep in mind that the technology is much newer than most houses whose builders didn’t intend anyone to hang a 50 to 100 lb picture from the wall and then plug it in. If parents think that this is saving their children from anything, even the wall-mounted televisions have fallen on children.

The CPSC asking parents to join a panel of experts at 7 p.m. tonight and use the hashtag #TVSafety. The advisers will include Nancy Cowles from Kids in Danger and Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy (part of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio) as well as CPSC officials.

They’re requesting that parents to send in pictures of how their television and other bulky furniture are placed in the home so the experts can offer specific safety tips!

For those who cant attend, CPSC offers these tips for securing televisions and other large pieces of furniture:

  • Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests or dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
  • Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid setting them on flimsy shelves.
  • Push the TV as far back as possible.
  • Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach kids not to play with them.
  • Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking over the TV.
  • Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.

Wall Mounted Televisions and Fireplaces

Do you watch HGTV on your new giant flat screen television? Have you taken some of the designers advice and mounted your television above a fireplace? Well, as far as being a nice aesthetic choice, safety experts are concerned about the hazards that this design practice poses.

You see, mounting the television over a heat source has been found to seriously lower the life span of the television. They seem to run hot anyway, but they also are highly sensitive to temperature and are so thin that they have little space for this heat to go before effecting screen quality.

But there is also a safety concern for this practice. Since these televisions can run as hot as 100 degrees they can pose an extra threat to an already heated area. Here are some suggestions:

  • With a fire going, test how hot the wall above gets hot from within the wall.
  • Again with a fire, test how hot the wall above gets.
  • Run the television and test how hot the unit gets after about two to three hours of use. (please keep in mind that this temp could increase by as much as 10 to 20 degrees as the television ages)
  • If the combined heat is over 120 degrees and up to 200 degrees depending on outer temperature, then this could melt plastic and cause metal on wall mountings to potentially loose integrity.

What can be done?

  • Install a deep mantle so that heat from the fireplace goes up and past the television.
  • Tip the television slightly down from the top to allow it to breath.
  • Install a gas fireplace.
  • Have all electrical and mountings installed by a professional who is bonded and insured

Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or your child suffers serious personal injuries caused by a falling television due then you should find a skilled lawyer with a proven track record of success in personal injury law right away. Call Phillips Law Firm for a free consultation.

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Merck’s marquis hair loss prevention drug Propecia has fallen upon some hard times. What was once a billion dollar annual income has steadily descended to around $400 million dollars and continues to fall upon news and a string of studies showing that it causes erectile dysfunction. Not a promising prospect for a man who is already self-conscious about his hair loss.

However, after spending years on the market, Propecia is finally proving that it not only causes erectile dysfunction while the patient is on the drug, but some studies are showing that it could last for months after stopping drug and could in some cases become a permanent condition.

Now the company has pulled the zippy Propecia website hawking the drug and showing happy guys with full heads of hair. Instead the website displays a one page information portal that leads to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, which, with only minimal clicking, will tell you that the main ingredient in Propecia, finasteride, has a chance of causing much worse than erectile dysfunction.

Some early studies suggest that it may cause male breast cancer and prostate cancer. You see, the bad thing is that finasteride was initially intended to treat prostate cancer, however, it also resulted in hair growth. It seems now all good things must come to an end, for both global conglomerate Merck and men seeking to prevent hair loss and still be able to get an erection.

This whole unfortunate situation has resulted in hundreds of lawsuits around the country of angry men who say that Merck did not provide the proper warnings.

Propecia Lawsuits

Lawyers were hoping this would get done in 2011, but it looks like 2012 is the year for the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) will rule on whether federal Propecia lawsuits are consolidated into a class action lawsuit to be presided over by a single judge in a central location.

The main allegations proposed by plaintiffs in Propecia lawsuits are around the sexual side effects. Generally, they seek damages over a rather wide range due to everything from pain and suffering to quality of life. Though many of these men have been waiting months, some years, to find justice, there is a lot of confidence that the MDL will be granted.

In fact, Merck has already requested that the potential MDL be headquartered in New Jersey, the company’s principal state of residence. Other venue options include New York and right here in Washington State, spurring on potentially one of the largest drug lawsuits ever tried in the state.

Are You Eligible to File a Propecia Lawsuit?

One of the reasons why Washington is being considered for the MDL is because a lot of the lawsuits are on the West coast and were started right here in Washington State. A victim of the side effects of Propecia has suffered erectile dysfunction directly related to their use of Propecia and thus has suffered a lowered quality of life due to the side effects.

Propecia lawsuits both at the state and federal levels claim that Merck knew, or should have known, about the side effects associated with their drug, and allege that the company failed to warn consumers of the associated risks. The main purpose of an MDL is to conserve resources, avoid duplicate discovery, and prevent the possibility of conflicting court rulings. Many ask the simple question of how many men would knowingly exchange Propecia erectile dysfunction and other Propecia sexual side effects for a fuller head of hair?

How do I File a Lawsuit Against Merck?

Though no individual is barred from filing their own lawsuit, it is highly advisable to seek an experienced law firm with a proven track record of success in defective drug litigation. Phillips Law Firm has helped dozens of victims and their loved ones who have been seriously effected by the side effects of various defective drugs.

These large MDL lawsuits can be tricky to navigate. Phillips’ team will conduct the investigation on your behalf and file the proper paperwork in order to move forward with a Propecia lawsuit. With the details in place and all of the paperwork collected, the attorneys will then have the tools they need to be able to represent you in the best way possible wherever the MDL may reside.

What is the Next Step in the MDL?

On March 29, 2012, San Diego is scheduled to host the next hearing for Propecia MDL. If the federal panel elects to consolidate Propecia lawsuits into an MDL, then a venue will be designated and most likely Merck will dispute it right away. Delay is the name of the game when hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake.

In most cases, the plaintiff should expect this process to take a long time and hearings to start no sooner than 2013. Plaintiffs should expect MDLs to be tested through a series of bellwether lawsuits that test the strength of the majority of the common lawsuit’s evidence and claims. Most of these bellwether lawsuits are the earliest suits filed and have been waiting for a long time to be tried so if you are filing now, it is unlikely your suit will be one of the lawsuits to be chosen as a bellwether case.

Contact Us of fill out the Free Propecial Case Evaluation

There are indications that Merck may not have given the proper indication of the severity of these side effects. With oversight from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is up to the company to provide information of any serious side effects. Merck may have known about the side effects, but neglected to properly inform customers or the FDA.

The serious consequences of Propecia are not worth stopping hair loss. Please consult your physician for further questions.

If you or a loved one are taking Propecia or any other derivative of Finasteride it is important that you contact legal council that has experience in protecting patients from giant pharmaceutical companies. Call Phillips Law Firm for a consultation on your legal options.

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There used to be this perception that hybrids were, aside from their obvious fuel efficiency benefits, a little wimpy and unsafe. This was not an unfounded perception. In the past, fuel economy came at the expense of vehicle weight, a major factor in the safety of a vehicle that stands true even today. However, it seems some things have changed.

Research conducted recently by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), is showing that the table have turned, and hybrids are proving to be safer than their standard counterparts when it comes to shielding their occupants from personal injuries in vehicle crashes.

Hybrid Safety

Researchers say that, on average, the odds of being injured in a crash are an impressive 25% lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models. They confirm that one of the big factors in this is that technology in hybrids has allowed engineers

“Hybrids on average are 10% heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don’t have.” says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and an author of the report.

He notes other factors, such as:

  • Method Factors – How the hybrids are being driven.
  • Time Factors – When people are driving them
  • Demographic Factors – Who are driving them

Researchers included controls to reduce the impact these differences may have had on the results. In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional version of the same vehicle.

The study included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all 2003-11 models, with at least 1 collision claim and at least 1 related injury claim filed under personal injury protection or medical payment coverage in 2002-10. Researchers found that hybrids’ injury odds were 27% lower than their standard counterparts for collision claims with a related personal injury protection PIP claim and 25% lower than their twins for collision claims with a related MedPay claim.

Hybrids and Crashes

There are definitely multiple factors in why hybrids are safer. As mentioned above, they are generally driven differently by those who chose to drive hybrids. As it stands the demographics for hybrids skew older and thus are less prone to being seen speeding or involved in DUI stops. Also, there are fewer of them on the road at night as compared to standard vehicles currently. Certainly, this may change as hybrids become more prevalent on the roads, but as it stands the statistics and engineering are solid.

The physics behind hybrid accidents

As anyone can tell you, when two vehicles that differ in size and weight collide, the people in the smaller, lighter vehicle will be at a serious disadvantage. It’s the physics of force that’s been around for hundreds of years. When two objects collide, any two objects, the bigger, heavier object will push the smaller, lighter one backward on impact.

Greater force means greater risk of personal injury for people in smaller vehicles. Even in single-vehicle crashes, heavier vehicles have an advantage because they are more likely to move, bend, or deform objects they hit.

You see, it’s actually partly due to their engineering. Hybrids have to weigh more because the lithium-ion battery packs and other components used in dual-power systems in today’s modern hybrids weigh much more than standard vehicle engine components. Two of the same model of car, one standard, one hybrid, can have about a 450 to 500 lb differential. A serious disparity when it comes to personal injuries in a car accident.

Hybrids and pedestrians

Not all of the news was bright. HLDI conducted a separate analysis of the data that shows hybrids may be as much as 20% more likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes with injuries than standard vehicles.

“When hybrids operate in electric-only mode pedestrians can’t hear them approaching,” says Moore, “so they might step out into the roadway without checking first to see what’s coming.”

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been working diligently with safety advocates. Earlier this year Congress gave the agency three years to come up with a requirement for equipping hybrids and electric models with sounds to alert unsuspecting pedestrians.

Seattle Car Accident Attorneys

This finding is going to be important to people who are both concerned about safety and fuel efficiency. This is particularly important for parents who want a safe car that shows their kids the importance of carbon emissions and conservation.

“Saving at the pump no longer means you have to skimp on crash protection,” Moore says.

If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of these types of intersections then the best thing you can do is contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call Phillips Law Firm for a free consultation and review of your legal options.

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Broken bones are some of the most common personal injuries that medical professionals come across when treating accident victims either at the scene or when they enter the hospital. These injuries can be painful and take months to heal. Not only that, depending on the victim’s age, older people can find that the healing process can be extended by weeks, even months.

Bones healing is a process of time, circulation, and health. It takes 3 to 4 months to recreate the solid, stable bone in most cases, but some bones have more blood supply so they heal faster. Toe bones have less mass and more circulation thus they heal faster. Wrist bones, on the other hand, can take longer.

The outer layer of the bone is made of hardened mineral deposits, whereas the inner layer is porous and bloody with a soft substance called “marrow.” The red marrow makes red blood cells, while the yellow marrow is used to store fat.

Bones continually undergo changes in a process called “bone remodeling.” Osteoclast cells break down old bone and osteoblast cells trigger new bone cells to form. As soon as a bone breaks, the osteoblasts begin mending the bone, sometimes even when they are out of alignment.

But this process is long and painful leaving many (especially older) patients wondering how they can speed the process as well as create a more complete healing process. Well, natural healing advocates say that they may have the answer.

Broken Bones and Natural Healing

If they are set properly and the person is careful not to put any strain on the area, the bone will eventually knit itself. Though there are no drugs in conventional medicine to help this process along, there are many things that believers in natural healing swear hurries the process along and helps in more complete healing.

  • Stop smoking – There are tons of reasons to stop smoking, but when it comes to bone healing, the science is pretty solid on this issue. Smoking slows the blood flow to the bones, thereby slowing the healing process.
  • Stop drinking alcohol – Another fairly obvious one that slows the formation of the osteoblasts.
  • Stop drinking caffeine – This is a hard one to do for Puget Sound residents, but by eliminating caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks, you can seriously curb calcium excretion. Since your body needs all the calcium it can get to heal your bones, it is wise to minimize ALL sources of calcium loss.
  • Healthy Foods – Bones need protein to build, so it’s wise to add proteins to your diet. One major source of protein for bone patients is milk, because it also adds much needed calcium to the mix. Other proteins that are good are:
    • Meat
    • Fish
    • Soy
    • Nuts
    • Beans
  • Calcium Supplements – Most doctors recommend at least at 800-1200 milligrams of calcium a day for adults. There is little research connecting the addition of calcium to the diet to the increased speed of bone healing, however, taking the recommended daily amount can’t hurt.
  • Vitamin C – Vitamin C is probably the largest contributor to the formation of collagen, the main component in connective tissue. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet contribute greatly to collagen creation. ,
  • Vitamin D – This aids in calcium absorption with 2,000 to 4,000 IU daily dose. Sitting in the sun for less than 30 minutes creates about 10,000 IU, however, it is processed differently. Be sure to take in that much while healing bones and take it in tandem with Omega 3 supplements to aid absorption.
  • Vitamin K – This can be found in course leafy greens such as kale and collard greens, also aids bone repair.
  • Arnica – This flowering plant some people say has a remarkable ability to reduce bruising and swelling from trauma. They recommend using it immediately after the break, to reduce swelling and vascular congestion. Be aware that you should ONLY take it in small amounts, follow the directions explicitly, and only purchase it at certified vitamin supplement stores and pharmacies.
  • Ultrasound bone growth stimulators – These machines were approved by the FDA, and treatments are available to speed certain types of broken bones with the use of electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and magnets. It increase blood flow to the area. It can be expensive and may not be recommended for all patients.
  • Deep tissue massage – When massage and techniques like cranio-sacral massage are delivered by a professional certified in injury massage, it has proven to increase blood flow and aid in the healing process.

Puget Sound Personal Injury Lawyer

Broken bones in a car accident can keep a person out of work, from doing their normal activities, and depending on the severity, can seriously hamper a person’s quality of life for an extended period of time. Along with pain and suffering, the victim has the opportunity to collect lost wages and damages.

Phillips Law Firm is a Seattle law firm with a substantial track record of success Personal Injury Litigation. We take the time to fully assess the injured party’s case in order to assure that the victim receives the compensation they deserve. Call our Personal Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation.

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