Common Mass Tort Cases We Are Evaluating.
A mass tort is a single wrongful action that causes injury to many different people. Edwards & Ragatz, P.A. attorneys are evaluating claims from individuals that fall within the following mass tort areas.
- Belviq: For individuals diagnosed with cancer after taking Belviq, Belviq XR, or another brand of lorcaserin.
- Elmiron: Individuals who took Elmiron and were diagnosed with maculopathy.
- Zantac: Americans who took Zantac and have been diagnosed with cancer.
- 3M Earplugs: Veterans and active-duty military personnel who wore defective 3M Combat Arms Earplugs and experienced major hearing damage.
- JUUL Products: Americans who used a JUUL vaporizer prior to November of 2018 and before turning 18 years of age, and who subsequently developed a nicotine addiction.
- Talcum Powder: Women who developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma after using talc powder or other talc products.
What to Know About These Mass Tort Cases
Belviq
Belviq (generic name lorcaserin) is a popular prescription weight-loss drug made by Eisai Inc. to help people experiencing obesity and weight-related health issues curb their hunger. Alarmingly, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety trial concluded that the drug could increase the risk of several different types of cancer, including pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer. As a result, the FDA issued a full recall of Belviq in February 2020.
Elmiron
Elmiron is a drug that has been prescribed to millions of patients since 1996 for interstitial cystitis (IC), known as painful bladder syndrome. Starting in 2015, researchers began to discover a potential link between the drug and a serious eye disease called maculopathy. However, even as the evidence has piled up, Elmiron’s manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceutical, has failed to warn the public about these risks. Millions may have already suffered serious health consequences.
Zantac
Zantac is one of the most popular over-the-counter medications in the country, with millions of people using it to relieve heartburn symptoms and chest pain. It’s also a potential cancer risk. Millions of people used Zantac for years oblivious to the risks.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), NDMA has been linked to a variety of diseases, including severe liver disease, liver cancer, testicular cancer, and lung cancer.
Paraquat
More than 60 countries have banned the use of paraquat. Despite growing health and legal concerns over the herbicide’s connection to Parkinson’s the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has done little to restrict its use.
Agricultural workers and farmers continue to face exposure risks. Many have already filed lawsuits claiming that they developed Parkinson’s disease as a result of exposure to Paraquat at work.
Talcum
Since 1971, more than 20 studies have linked talcum (talc) powder to ovarian cancer, and, in 2003, an analysis of 16 of these studies found that women using talcum powder were 33% more likely to develop ovarian cancer. It has been alleged that Johnson & Johnson, the maker of popular talc-based products, knew about the risk of ovarian cancer since at least 1982, but failed to warn women using these products.
JUUL
JUUL Labs, the makers of JUUL e-cigarettes and vapor pods, are facing lawsuits alleging that they didn’t adequately warn users of the risks associated with using their products. JUUL markets its products as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, but they still contain nicotine. In fact, JUUL products contain significantly more nicotine than their leading competitors, which is addictive.
C-PAP
Philips recalled millions of C-PAP and other sleep apnea machines because many users were breathing toxic foam caused by a defect with their machines. Ingesting this toxic foam can cause cancer and other major health problems. Aside from causing cancer, many users also reported headaches, upper airway irritations, coughing, chest pressure, sinus infections, asthma, and more.
3M Earplugs
3M, a multinational conglomerate based in Minnesota, provided earplugs to the U.S. military for soldiers to use in combat. 3M designed the plugs to block out loud blasts while allowing soldiers to hear crucial orders. However, 3M failed to notify the U.S. government that some of its plugs were faulty due to an alleged design flaw. The defective earplugs may have caused partial or complete hearing loss.
Social Media
Facebook and Instagram’s engagement algorithm exposes kids to dangerous posts causing potential social media addiction, depression, body image issues, eating disorders, and more. Lawsuits are appearing on behalf of adolescents, teens, and young adults who became addicted to social media and suffered detrimental mental health effects, including eating disorders, body dysmorphia, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
Stewards of Jacksonville For Over 20 Years
If you or a loved one took any of the above medications or experienced any of the above malfunctions, you could be owed compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. We want to fight to help you get it. Don’t wait. Call (904) 295-1050 today.
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Innovative & Strategic Legal StrategiesAt Edwards & Ragatz, we offer custom legal strategies tailored to your situation. Our approach ensures that we collect higher settlements than what an insurance adjuster might offer.
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