Drugs/Medical Legal News Articles & Interviews

Arley, AL Catrina arrived at the hospital emergency room bent over in pain--three days later she was sent home after having her gallbladder removed. The surgery went well--until the bills arrived. Particularly galling was a CT Scan charge about three times more than the national average cost--a typical example of ER overcharges. (Granted, scans are typically more expensive when ordered in an ER.) Her total bill rings in at 86,381.04.

Santa Clara, CA Although the “No Surprises Act” will be in effect January 1, 2022, the first regulations are slated for July 2021. If all goes according to plan, patients to emergency rooms will no longer be hit with outrageous ER overcharges or receive surprise bills in the mail, mainly due to out of network treatment.

Santa Clara, CA For more than a decade, studies have shown that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are associated with serious side effects, including kidney failure and other injuries. Researchers now add to “other” injuries biliary track cancer, gallbladder cancer and cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) and might be carcinogenic.

Lancaster, SC Ruth underwent three abdominal mesh surgeries in the last few years, all of them unsuccessful. She now lives with an ugly scar and constant pain. She replaced her addiction to prescription painkillers with Suboxone (prevents painful addiction withdrawal) and trips to the emergency room with visits to the addiction center. 

Houston, TX Nick was working at his home office when he suddenly felt the left side of his body go numb and a searing pain in his lower back. “Thank God my wife was home. She drove me to the nearest urgent care center but a sign on the door said it was “running at capacity” and couldn’t see any patients that day,” says Nick. “We googled the nearest emergency room—at this point I was almost passing out. And I almost passed out two weeks later when my ER bill came in the mail. I’d heard about ER overcharges but this was ridiculous!”

Los Angeles, CA  On April 19, Marina Golden filed a Zantac cancer lawsuit in California state court, alleging that her years’ long use of Zantac caused her 2014 diagnosis of breast cancer. Her lawsuit seeks punitive and exemplary damages to punish the defendant manufacturers and retailers for their wrongful acts as well as compensatory damages in recognition of the harms that she suffered.

Washington, DC Boston Scientific will pay $188.6 million to resolve transvaginal mesh lawsuits in 47 states and the District of Columbia. This means that tens of thousands of women who have been injured by vaginal mesh implants will qualify for some restitution.

Newark, NJ A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Procter & Gamble and other manufacturers of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs. Plaintiff Daisy Perez claims her husband, a New Mexico man, died of metastatic gastric cancer after taking Nexium and Prilosec.

Santa Clara, CA Many emergency room overcharges complaints submitted to LawyersandSettlements are so outrageous they seem fictional. Sadly, they are true. In each complaint below, the patient’s bill isn’t even close to the “going rate”.

Los Angeles, CA Attorney Barry Kramer may be able to get your emergency room services reduced, but his goal is to change the hospital system and stop ER overcharges for everyone. If you think your hospital has overcharged you for their services and you’re willing to go the distance, and if you want to make a difference and help others, read on.