6 Dangerous Products To Avoid

Obtaining Compensation for Defective or Harmful Products on the Market

Not all products that make it to consumers are safe. In fact, some are dangerous and defective, causing serious harm to those that purchase or use them. If you are injured by a hazardous product, you might be entitled to compensation through a product liability lawsuit.

At Bailey Cowan Heckaman, we represent people who have been seriously injured by dangerous or defective products. Our lawyers have secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured parties nationwide. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact our office at (888) 367-7160 to schedule a free consultation. 

Avoid these 5 defective products that can potentially cause significant harm:

1. Onewheel Electric Skateboards

At BCH Law, we have successfully recovered compensation for individuals who have been injured or lost a loved one in Onewheel nosedive accidents. The Onewheel is a self-balancing electric transportation device that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. 

Despite its growing popularity, the device is suspected of containing a significant design defect that causes it to suddenly shut off and nosedive toward the ground. The force of the impact can violently throw a rider off the device resulting in serious harm. 

Our attorneys have filed wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of families who have lost loved ones while riding on a Onewheel. We continue to litigate product liability cases against the manufacturer, Future Motion, Inc.

2. GMO Products

Individuals who have suffered significant health problems related to the consumption of food with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) may be entitled to compensation. Eating GMO products, such as Monsanto’s corn, has been linked with serious ailments, including tumors and severe allergic reactions. 

3. 3M Earplugs

It is alleged that the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) sold by 3M, contained a dangerous defect. It is believed that thousands of United States service members and veterans have sustained hearing loss, tinnitus, and other harm after relying on these earplugs during combat and training. BCH Law continues to investigate 3M Military Earplug cases. 

4. 3M Warming Blankets

After surgery, many patients are given warming blankets to help prevent hypothermia. The Bair Hugger Warming Blanket manufactured by 3M is believed to have caused deep-joint infections when used after orthopedic surgeries. The infections can result in life-threatening health problems and, in some cases, may require amputation. 

5. Cars Manufactured by GM

General Motors is one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world. Unfortunately, not all of the vehicles that they produce are safe. It is believed that over 100 deaths can be linked to a faulty ignition switch in certain GM vehicles. The faulty ignition switch resulted in the recall of 39 million cars in 2014 alone. It is reported that employees knew of the defect for over a decade. 

6. TEPEZZA Eye Medicine

Tepezza has been associated with hearing loss, but the label only mentions it without indicating the duration of the symptoms or whether the problems are permanent. Furthermore, it has been the subject of several complaints, including failure to warn, design defect, failure to warn, and negligent design defect. Consumers should avoid Tepezza infusions as they may cause serious health issues.

Injured by a Dangerous or Defective Product?

Were you injured by a dangerous or defective product? Contact our office at (888) 367-7160 for a free consultation. Let us help you get the justice you deserve. There are no fees unless we win. Call now to get started.

Aaron Heckaman Presents on Philips CPAP and Pfizer Xeljanz Litigation

Important Status Update and Overview on CPAP and Xeljanz Litigation

Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC partner Aaron Heckaman recently provided an important update and overview on Philips CPAP and Pfizer Xeljanz litigation. Currently, multidistrict litigation (MDL) has been formed for users of Philips’ now recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and mechanical ventilators. While an MDL has not been formed yet, claims related to Pfizer’s Xeljanz continue to be investigated. 

Individuals affected by these products are strongly encouraged to contact Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC for a free consultation. The trial lawyers at BCH Law have decades of experience handling complex dangerous drug and defective device litigation, including the successful representation of thousands of Fen-Phen and Seroquel users. 

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a dangerous drug or medical device, contact our office at (888) 367-7160 to discuss your legal options. 

Philips CPAP Litigation

Several models of Philips CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines were recalled after reports that the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam used in its devices was prone to degradation resulting in life-threatening, permanent injuries to users. The foam would break down into potentially toxic particles that could be inhaled or ingested.

Millions of CPAP and BiPAP machines, as well as several ventilator models, were affected by the recall. All devices were manufactured prior to April 26, 2021. If you currently have or previously used a recalled CPAP machine, you need to contact a drug and medical device injury lawyer to discuss a potential legal claim. 

It is alleged that Philips knew that their product was defective six years before issuing a recall. On March 10, 2022, the FDA issued a notification order which determined that the recalled products present “an unreasonable risk of substantial harm to the public health.” 

Status of CPAP Claims in the United States

An MDL was formed in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Honorable Joy Flowers Conti is presiding over the MDL and has appointed a 12-member plaintiffs’ steering committee in addition to lead counsel. In total, there have been 24,000 causes tolled. There are 102 class actions and 162 personal injury claims regarding Philips CPAP devices.

Individuals with qualifying injuries and proof of exposure are encouraged to contact our office immediately. Qualifying injuries may include but are not limited to kidney, liver, or lung disease, respiratory failure, cancer, pleural effusion, and chemical poisoning. 

Pfizer Xeljanz Litigation

Between 2012 and 2018, Pfizer’s Xeljanz was approved by the FDA for the treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. In 2019, concerns over an increased risk of pulmonary embolism and death resulted in a safety communication being released by the FDA. 

Shortly after the release of the safety communication, Pfizer was required to put a black box warning label on the drug, and its use was limited to the treatment of ulcerative colitis in adults. A subsequent black box warning was mandated after initial trial results showed Xeljanz users had an increased risk of serious heart-related problems and cancer.

Status of Xeljanz Claims in the U.S.

Currently, an MDL has not been formed for Xeljanz litigation. However, clients who have taken Xeljanz or Xeljanz XR for the treatment of arthritis for a minimum of six months are encouraged to contact our office. 

To qualify, Xeljanz users must have taken a 10 mg dose twice per day and must have suffered a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), stroke, or other blood clot-related injury while taking the drug. It is not known how many individuals were affected by this potentially dangerous drug. 

Were You Harmed by a Dangerous Drug or Defective Medical Device? Contact Our Office Today.

If you sustained injury after taking a dangerous drug such as Pfizer’s Xeljanz or a defective medical device like Philips CPAP machines, contact our office. We offer free, no-obligation consultations. Call (888) 367-7160 to speak directly with an experienced attorney.

Women With Essure Birth Control Device Face Increased Risks of Repeat Procedures, New Study Shows

As of 2019, following years of patient complaints and thousands of lawsuits filed by women who suffered serious and painful injuries, Bayer no longer sells its Essure Permanent Birth Control System. A non-reversible, non-surgical contraceptive device that had been heavily marketed as an alternative to procedures like tubal ligation (or “tying tubes”).

Essure has been associated with a number of serious and devastating adverse effects, including:

In addition to considerable pain and suffering, many women with Essure implants have had to undergo serious and costly medical procedures and surgeries to address their symptoms, repair devices, remove the devices entirely, or perform other needed treatment. According to new research, those types of revision procedures are far more likely to happen to women with Essure implants than women who use other forms of contraception/sterilization.

What Researchers Are Saying About Essure

According to a medical journal article recently published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, repeat procedure risks increase with the use of Essure birth control devices. The study comes from a team of physicians and researchers from the Department of Healthcare Policy and Research and NYC’s Weill Cornell Medical College. Here are some of their key findings:

Although some experts have commented that risks of repeat procedures may not impact all women who underwent hysteroscopic sterilization (the formal name for the Essure procedure), many of the hundreds of thousands of women with Essure devices already implanted have required such procedures and surgeries – and many more may as well in the following years. They also don’t deny that numerous women across the world have and still continue to suffer from a range of adverse effects and persistent pain associated with the device – which is why many have filed lawsuits against Bayer.

Justice for Victims of Essure-Related Injuries

On our blog, we frequently provide updates about news and events involving dangerous drugs and medical devices – including Essure. Recently, we’ve discussed how Essure concerns are still growing nationwide, and how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has pledged to better study Essure, its long-term effects, and improve the agency’s oversight of medical devices.

While those types of pledges are certainly welcomed, they’re made after numerous women have already suffered from the effects of Essure – from severe and chronic physical pain and emotional suffering to sizable medical expenses, lost income, and other economic and non-economic damages. As the FDA and Big Pharma have proven time and time again that they can’t or won’t effectively protect consumers, it often becomes the job of victims and plaintiffs’ attorneys to stand up, raise awareness, and seek justice that can produce needed changes.

In addition to prompting change, our personal injury lawyers at Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC are committed to helping women harmed by Essure as they seek financial compensation for the damages they incurred. Our civil trial lawyers have been recognized throughout the country for our work in pharmaceutical and medical device injury, product liability, and serious personal injury cases, and are prepared to help you better understand your rights, options, and how we can help you take the next steps in your legal journey.

Discuss a potential Essure case by contacting our firm. Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC offers free consultations, and proudly serves clients throughout the country.

Essure Birth Control Concerns Continue to Spread, Canadian Government Moves to Strengthen Medical Device Oversight

Concerns about the implantable birth control device Essure, manufactured by Bayer, are continuing to spread on a global level. Though Bayer will be suspending sales of Essure worldwide by the end of this month, questions still remain for thousands of women who have experienced pain and adverse reactions after having the device implanted.

Those lingering concerns and the stories of numerous women worldwide have prompted many countries to take more decisive action. This includes an order issued late last month by the Canadian Health Minister to strengthen regulations for medical devices, including improved standards for complication reporting, and stronger pre-market studies.

Essure: A Global Timeline of Pain & Adverse Health Complications

On our blog, we have featured many posts about the ongoing backlash over Essure, a small device comprised of a metal coil that can be implanted into the fallopian tubes for female sterilization. Although it gained popularity for being a minimally invasive and convenient form of birth control for women, and a purportedly safer option than tubal ligation, it has become the target of numerous concerns from patients, advocates, and regulatory agencies, as well as numerous lawsuits.

Today, more than 1 million women across the world have received Essure implants. However, reports of serious adverse reactions, years of physical and emotional pain, and thousands of painful removal surgeries linked to Essure soon prompted action from health regulators. That’s true in the U.S., where the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “black box” warning label and requirements for physicians to thoroughly discuss risks and issues with patients prior to implantation.

In Canada, a journalistic investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) found a severe lack of adverse event reporting, despite hundreds of Canadian women voicing their stories and complaints, and growing evidence about Essure being approved with potentially incomplete evidence about its safety, including one 2015 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The investigation soon led to Essure being discontinued in Canada in 2017, and the Canadian Health Department’s recent decision to improve how it oversees the approval and reporting process for medical devices. Similar steps have been taken in other nations where Essure has been sold.

Regulatory Changes Welcomed, But Women Still Reeling

Though pledges to revamp regulations regarding medical devices, pre-market testing and approval, and reporting are certainly steps in the right direction, they do not detract from the fact that thousands of women have already suffered, and are still suffering, from complications related to Essure, including issues such as:

In light of the serious physical, emotional, and financial suffering endured by many women, the civil justice system has become the means through which they are sharing their stories, and which they hope will provide an opportunity for more information about what Bayer knew about Essure to come to light. Women who seek justice in Essure lawsuits may also recover financial compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.

Questions About Essure Lawsuits? We Can Help.

Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC, LLP is a nationally recognized trial firm that has earned a reputation for fighting on behalf of the injured and the wronged, including victims who suffer serious injuries and damages as a result of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices like Essure.

If you or a loved one has experienced harm and losses after having Essure implanted, our award-winning attorneys are available to discuss your case and whether you may be able to join thousands of other women with pending lawsuits against Bayer. Call or contact us for a free and confidential review of your case.

Women from Las Vegas Area Add Their Voices to Growing Number of Essure Complaints

The latest group of women seriously affected by Essure Permanent Birth Control System recently added their voices to the growing chorus of concerns about the medical device, which has been linked to perforated organs, severe pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, and more.

“[My doctor was] like, ‘You need to have whatever you have inside your body taken out,’ ” Lorena Llamas, recalled of a November 2016 visit to an obstetrician-gynecologist. “I didn’t want any more kids, but I also didn’t want to completely lose the hope. At that moment in time, that was the loss of hope.”

Llamas received the birth control implant seven years prior. After years of dealing with serious health concerns including what she described as blood clots the size of her hand, her husband rushed her to an emergency room. Her doctor, the obstetrician-gynecologist informed her that she would need a hysterectomy to remove the device.

“The moment I woke up from anesthesia, I was a completely different person,” Llamas said. “It was like I was reborn.”

At this point, more than 41,000 women have shared their stories dealing with Essure, and an estimated 17,000 have filed lawsuits against the device’s manufacturer, Bayer. While Bayer continues to deny any issues with this product – which it pulled form shelves earlier this year – the evidence against these claims continues to grow.

“This is a medical device that was released prematurely, and there’s simply not enough data to know for certain (if it’s safe),” said Dr. E. Scott Sills, a reproductive endocrinologist in Carlsbad, California, who has removed hundreds of Essure implants. “It’s designed to cause inflammation. I think that the inflammation in some women becomes systemic.”

At Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC, our Houston medical device injury attorneys understand just how much damage Essure has caused to unsuspecting women across the globe. If you suffered serious side effects from this form of permanent and non-reversible birth control, then you may be able to take legal action. Call our offices today to discuss your options with a member of our firm, or send us your information through our online form and we will reach out to you as soon as possible.

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Women Continue to Come Forward to Speak About the Damage Essure Caused

New reports of women injured by Essure Permanent Birth Control System continue to flood the news across the globe. Recently, two women who are involved with the class action lawsuit against Bayer, the company that manufactures and distributes this product – at least until it leaves shelves at the end of the year – spoke about their experiences following the procedure to implant it.

“You get this birth control thinking, ‘Ok, I’ve done the best thing for me and my family,’ and it turns out to be the worst decision of your life,” says Latisha Montgomery of Rockford, IL. “It’s constant, it’s constant pain.”

“I went through hell for five years, absolutely hell,” says Ela Woolger of South Beloit, IL. “There were days I didn’t want to take care of my kid because I was so sick I couldn’t get out of bed.”

Latisha and Ela’s tragic stories are shared by tens of thousands of women in the United States alone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received an estimated 27,000 reports of adverse side effects caused by Essure. In response, the FDA forced Bayer to implement both a patient checklist and a black box warning on its product to ensure that people were fully informed when using its product. Despite these precautions, women continued to come forward to file complaints with the FDA, leading the administration to restrict sales of Essure in April of 2018 before Bayer announced that it was discontinuing sales of its product.

“The device has been associated with serious risks including persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and fallopian tubes, and migration of the coils into the pelvis or abdomen,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. wrote in a statement posted on the agency’s website. “As the FDA learned more from patients about the serious adverse events associated with this device, we took a series of important actions to better understand the benefits and risks, and to address patient safety concerns.”

Our Houston drug injury attorneys at Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC continue to hear stories about how this permanent birth control device affects the lives of women across the country and around the world. If you suffered serious injuries caused by Essure Permanent Birth Control System, give us a call at to discuss your legal options with a member of our firm today. You can also send us your information through our online form to set up a case consultation and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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