Fresenius Medical Care North America, the manufacturer of GranuFlo, has recently become the target of yet another wrongful death lawsuit. The latest case was filed in Boston federal court on February 27, 2013 by the widow of Gary Alexander. The victim had suffered a fatal heart attack after undergoing hemodialysis treatment, and since he is not the first to have such a reaction to GranuFlo, his wife has decided to hold the manufacturer responsible.
She has alleged that the makers of this dialysis product have negligently failed to warn consumers of its life-threatening risks, thus leaving thousands of patients susceptible to an increased chance of cardiac arrest and stroke. This particular product has regularly been used in thousands of clinics over the last decade, so there is no telling how many victims have been affected so far.
Mrs. Alexander’s lawsuit also claims that Fresenius has been aware of their product’s potential risks for years. This statement has been supported with evidence of an internal memo that was written by the company in November of 2011. In it, Fresenius explained that GranuFlo could lead to an increased risk of cardiopulmonary arrest or sudden cardiac death in patients.
They also identified more than 947 patients who had suffered cardiac death after being treated with GranuFlo—which only accounted for a single year and a third of the company’s clinics. This memo was only sent to the network of Fresenius clinics, but the company also supplies this dangerous product to thousands of other facilities. These clinics were not notified of GranuFlo’s potential risks until months later.
In March of 2012, the internal memo was anonymously leaked to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who then issued a recall of the product no more than a month later. Had Fresenius Medical Care North America brought this issue to light years earlier, Gary Alexander would likely still be alive. For this reason, it is reasonable to assume that his widow will be able to recover a substantial amount of compensation at the conclusion of her wrongful death lawsuit.
If you or someone you love has suffered through a similar experience after being treated with GranuFlo, you should not hesitate to consult with a Raleigh personal injury lawyer from the Whitley Law Firm today. We are well-equipped to seek damages on your behalf, so we encourage you to take action as soon as possible.
It won’t cost you anything to see if our firm can help, as all initial consultations are free when you call at (704) 461-1621.
