The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that Allergan, a pharmaceutical company, recall its BIOCELL textured breast implants in July 2019. These implants are linked to an increased risk of a cancer known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or BIA-ALCL. A full list of the recalled implants and tissue expanders can be found …
After decades of profiting from Roundup as the world’s most widely-used Herbicide, Monsanto now faces a reckoning of its bad business practices. We now know, from the Roundup lawsuits going to trial, about the unethical strategies Monsanto executives used to get Roundup in every home, lawn, and farm. In 2015, an international agency declared the chemical …
A new, non-invasive cancer treatment has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NovoTTF-100L is the first treatment in more than 15 years to be approved by the FDA for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). MPM is an aggressive form of cancer which cannot be surgically removed and has spread either outside the organ …
Several media outlets are reporting that Bayer – the parent company of Monsanto – is offering an $8 billion deal to settle more than 18,000 lawsuits. The lawsuits claim that exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and its active ingredient, glyphosate, is responsible for causing the plaintiffs’ non-Hodgkin lymphoma or other forms of cancer. Glyphosate, which …
About one in every 20 hospital patients will be affected by “preventable harm” – defined as unintended physical injury caused by medical care that requires additional treatment or hospitalization – according to a new study conducted by the renowned British Medical Journal. Preventable harm is believed to account for as many as 1,000 deaths each day. …
As cancer lawsuits against Roundup weed killer continue to make headlines, Bayer – which became Roundup’s owner when it bought Monsanto a year ago – has announced plans to invest more than $5.6 billion over the next decade to develop new methods to combat weeds. Bayer’s announcement comes as the company attempts to deal with competing deadlines …
A recent NBC News investigative report shined a spotlight on Skyline Healthcare – a chain of nursing homes that at its height operated more than 100 nursing facilities in 11 states, overseeing the care of more than 7,000 elderly Americans. Over the past two years, Skyline Healthcare’s nursing home empire crumbled, throwing residents, vendors, employees, and …
Ten U.S. states and the District of Columbia recently sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding stiffer rules governing the use of asbestos to reduce the public health risks. The lawsuit was filed after the EPA refused to collect more data on asbestos. The states believe this denial was arbitrary and violated the EPA’s obligations …
The Baltimore-based Xaverian Brothers recently released a list of 34 members who have been accused of sexually abusing children. The list includes two men with “a credible or established offense against a minor” who are currently members of the religious order; 18 deceased or former Xaverian Brothers with “a credible or established offense;” and 14 other …
A patient whose pressure ulcers developed gangrene, resulting in amputation. A maggot infestation where a feeding tube entered a patient’s abdomen. A patient whose injuries from a sexual assault were missed and only discovered at a hospital. These are just a few of the most severe cases cited in a new report on hospice care in America. But …
Like the recently closed Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, another Chicago area medical supply company appears to be using cancer-causing ethylene oxide (EtO) as a sterilization method for its products. An air toxics study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that ethylene oxide emissions from the Medline Industries facility in Waukegan are responsible …
Sexual abuse by clergy. Sexual attacks on seniors in nursing homes. Sexual assaults on children by their own parents. If you follow the news, you know that sexual abuse cases are everywhere. And now, this terrible trend has made its way onto college campuses. In recent weeks alone, two cases of sexual abuse by university …
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops concluded its spring meeting in Baltimore by passing three major policies, each of which is designed to address their own accountability in sex abuse cases. While the bishops celebrated the new policies as a major achievement, many within the Catholic Church believe these rules don’t go far enough because …
A woman suffering from mesothelioma has been awarded $325 million in punitive and compensatory damages by a New York jury. The woman charged that her mesothelioma, an aggressive form of asbestos-related cancer, is the result of decades of daily use of two Johnson & Johnson products, Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. The jury rejected Johnson …
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently called on lawmakers to either extend or eliminate the statute of limitations on sex crimes in the state. He also urged legislators to strengthen sexual assault laws applied to people in power positions over their victims. The Governor’s comments came in the wake of Ohio State University’s report on the sexual abuse …
The maker of Pam cooking spray, Conagra Brands, is being sued by eight burn victims, all of whom were severely injured when cans of the cooking spray exploded in their kitchens. In one case, a victim said the fire produced by the exploding can was so intense that it melted her contact lens onto her …
Putting a loved one in a nursing home can be one of the most gut-wrenching decisions a family can ever make. And once that decision is made, what do you do if you suspect there may be a problem with the level of care the nursing home is providing to your loved one? Recognizing how …
Nursing homes around the country have received new ratings from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency which administers Medicare and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid. Last month, CMS changed its inspection process and the Five-Star Quality Rating System for nursing homes nationwide. The revisions, which now provide …
Amid mounting pressures, the Boy Scouts of America has hinted that the organization may consider bankruptcy to protect it from a flood of lawsuits. The suits come in the wake of recent research which shows that as many as 12,200 current and former Scouts have been abused by 7,819 troop leaders and other volunteers. Shockingly, even …
For years, we’ve been hearing about the link between smoking and lung cancer. But the sad truth is that lung cancer in non-smokers is much more common than people realize. In fact, lung cancer in those who have never smoked is now the sixth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. According to …
An Oakland, California jury has awarded $2 billion in punitive damages to Alva and Alberta Pilliod after concluding that continued exposure to Roundup weed killer was responsible for the couple’s cancer. The jury also ruled that the couple should receive an additional $55 million for pain and suffering, and to cover their medical expenses. As residential …
African-American, Native American, and Alaska Native women are nearly three times more likely to die from health issues arising before or immediately after pregnancy than white women, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study also shows that 60% of all pregnancy-related deaths can be prevented with better …
Newborn babies are at a much higher risk of developing meningitis than any other age group. This is primarily because infants’ immune systems are not fully developed and are more prone to viruses and illnesses. Since the bacteria that causes meningitis can be transferred from mother to baby, prenatal care and virus screening for the …
Abusing and exploiting the elderly and individuals with developmental disabilities happens more than any of us would like to think. Unfortunately, because these people tend to be viewed as weak, vulnerable, and less likely to report such instances, they are often regarded as easy targets. Three separate incidents that took place at residential care facilities …
Each year, more than one million hernia repair surgeries are performed in the U.S. alone. And for many of those operations, surgical mesh is the medical device doctors use to strengthen the repair, shorten recovery time, and reduce the chances of the hernia returning. Unfortunately, hernia mesh is not without its drawbacks. As with any …