Author Archive

Ambulance Fat Fees coming to an EMS near you…

July 2nd, 2009. By admin

plamobilambulance Ambulance Fat Fees coming to an EMS near you... First it was the airlines—for which weight discrimination is still a hot topic of debate. But now, it seems American Medical Response (AMR) of Topeka, KS has been given clearance by the Shawnee County Commission to raise its fees for transporting overweight and critical care patients.

According to a June 30th article on ABC affiliate Nebraska.tv, AMR will now be able to increase what it charges for ambulance costs for critical care patients and overweight people from $629 to $1,172. It doesn’t take a math scholar to figure out that it’ll cost you almost double if you tip the scales at over 350 lbs (the threshold weight for the increase).

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Tags: weight discrimination
Posted in Emerging Issues | No Comments »

New study on MRI & Gadolinium…but does it matter?

July 1st, 2009. By admin

mriscan New study on MRI & Gadolinium...but does it matter? The June issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (as reported by docguide.com) has the results of a new study on MRI health risks–particularly those associated with gadolinium contrast. According to the docguide.com article,

“Even at very high doses, gadolinium-based contrast agents alone are not sufficient to cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with kidney problems,…”

That’s a statement that caught my eye given all the prior studies on the risks of gadolinium as an MRI contrast agent and its connection to Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF).

In the study, led by Dr. Mellena D. Bridges, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, records of 61 patients who received high-dose IV gadodiamide for catheter angiography or computed tomography (CT) between January 2002 and December 2005 were examined.

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Tags: Gadolinium, MRI Health Risks
Posted in Drugs/Medical | No Comments »

Hydroxycut Class Action Filed in California

June 17th, 2009. By admin

hydroxycutpackage1 Hydroxycut Class Action Filed in California Here’s one that just came flying across my virtual desk—yes, it does happen to be from a law firm that advertises on LawyersandSettlements.com, but given that Hydroxycut Diet Supplements were touted as “America’s #1 Selling Weight Loss Product” (right on the package!), it does make you wonder about the extent to which adverse effects with Hydroxycut have been underreported. Here’s the release…

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman Files National Hydroxycut Consumer Fraud Class Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Millions Who Consumed the Recalled Weight Loss Supplement

LOS ANGELES– Recalled Hydroxycut products are defective and dangerous according to a lawsuit filed today by Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of everyone who consumed any of the recalled weight loss Hydroxycut supplements.

The lead plaintiff in this class action, Marvin Thomas of Los Angeles, is seeking compensatory, equitable, declaratory, and injunctive relief for himself and everyone in the Hydroxycut class against the defendants for, among other things, violations of various states’ deceptive trade practices acts, misrepresentation, fraudulent, false and misleading advertisements, and unjust enrichment by distributing a product about which they had been making unsubstantiated claims of safety and effectiveness.

Tags: Hydroxycut, Hydroxycut Class Action, Hydroxycut Diet Supplements
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Week Adjourned: 6.12.09

June 12th, 2009. By admin

Top Class Actions

Miss-Match.com? The Dallas-based internet dating site Match.com is being sued over allegations that it misleads its customers about potential matches with people who are no longer active members.

The suit was filed by Sean McGinn, a resident of Brooklyn, NY, who alleges that most of the profiles on the site are for people who have cancelled their memberships or never subscribed. The complaint reportedly states “When a subscriber cancels their subscription, their profile continues to appear to be that of an active subscriber.” And, “Nothing indicates to the viewer their limited access to read e-mails or respond to them.” Ouch—kinda like the cyber version of a blind date who doesn’t show…

Tags: Asthma, match.com, McAfee, Microsoft, Singulair, Symantec, USPS, Week Adjourned, Zyflo
Posted in Defective Products, Drugs/Medical | No Comments »

Do Reglan Risks outweigh Benefits for Morning Sickness?

June 11th, 2009. By admin

reglan Do Reglan Risks outweigh Benefits for Morning Sickness? Pregnant women are understandably cautious about what drugs and supplements they take-and this can be a problem for many women who suffer from debilitating morning sickness. What can you take that’s safe?

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a new study this week, “The Safety of Metoclopramide Use in the First Trimester of Pregnancy“; Metoclopramide may sound familiar—it’s the name of the drug more commonly known as Reglan.

The results of the study are getting attention because the study, which was carried out in Israel, was apparently one of the largest of its kind to date. The results of the study were as follows:

Tags: Reglan, Reglan Side Effects, Tardive Dykinesia
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