Number of Personal Injury Lawsuits Due to Granuflo Use Continues to Rise
On August 27th of this year, Tina Nunn filed a wrongful death personal injury lawsuit on behalf of her decreased husband, Earin Blossom, against Fresenius Medical Care, alleging that use of their Granuflo dialysis powder caused his wrongful death.
At present, only Nunn is listed as a plaintiff. However, the case was filed as a larger potential Granuflo class action lawsuit in Northern California.
Nunn claims the defendant and their subsidiaries “failed to exercise reasonable care in manufacturing and selling defective dialysis products known as Granuflo and and Naturalyte.”
According to court documents, Earin Blossom began hemodialysis treatment involving Granuflo dialysates, in November 2010. He went to a Fresenius clinic three times a week for treatment. On April 6, 2011, mere hours after latest treatment, Blossom suffered a massive heart attack and died. Allegations from the plaintiff state that the decedent’s metabolic alkalosis, cardiac arrest, and resulting death were a direct result of using Granuflo as part of his dialysis treatment.
Nunn’s complaint further alleges that the defendant knew about the potential, serious heart problems related to Granuflo use. As early as 2001, Fresenius reportedly knew, based on reports from their clinics, that Granuflo could raise the bicarbonate levels in patients’ blood, which could lead to metabolic alkalosis – a condition that creates greater risk of heart attack, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden death. The Granuflo class action lawsuit cited an April 2002 memo, in which Fresenius noted an increase in bicarbonate levels for its proprietary clinics and acknowledged concern for “patients who fall in the upper limits of the distribution curve and who may have significant post-dialysis alkalosis.”
Further, a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases showed that patients with pre-dialysis alkalosis had a greater risk of death. Despite the risks, however, Fresenius did not recall Granuflo and Naturalyte powders until 2012.
Personal Injury Caused by GranuFlo & Naturalyte
According to a court document from Friday, March 29th, 2013, several plaintiffs who have personal injury lawsuits against Fresenius, the manufacturer of GranuFlo & Naturalyte dialysis powders, have had their lawsuits consolidated into one multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Massachusetts.
Prior to MDL consolidation, Fresenius faced 732 personal injury lawsuits alleging that their dialysis powders GranuFlo & Naturalyte were defective, and caused serious and dangerous side effects including cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. Forty-six states had personal injury lawsuits against the manufacturer, and a few patients died because of their reactions to GranuFlo & Naturalyte.
In an internal memo from November 2011, Fresenius warned its own doctors and clinics that GranuFlo & Naturalyte increased the risk of cardiopulmonary arrest, and even cardiac death, in certain patients. Despite the seriousness of such a concern, the manufacturer did not forward the memo to the FDA, and began to pull the powders only from their own dialysis clinics. Both GranuFlo & Naturalyte were sold to dialysis clinics not affiliated with Fresenius, and were therefore not warned of potential dangers.
In March of 2012, the FDA recalled both the dialysis powders. The regulatory agency is investigating the manufacturer to determine if they violated federal law.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with GranuFlo & Naturalyte Personal Injury Lawsuits
If you or a loved one has had dialysis with GranuFlo or Naturalyte and have since suffered serious heart problems, or if a loved one has received dialysis treatment with either of these drugs and has died from heart complications, you may be entitled to compensation. Defective drugs can cause serious harm, including wrongful death, and drug manufacturers must be held to a high standard regarding their customers’ health. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. With over 30 years’ experience combined, our lawyers can help you with personal injury lawsuits, including cases against medical manufacturers such as Fresenius, the manufacturer of GranuFlo and Naturalyte. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us today. 803.252.4800
