Drug Liability Attorneys in New York City
The New York Fosamax lawyers of Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney LLP, have successfully handled many lawsuits for women who have suffered from using the prescription drug Fosamax.
If you or someone close to you has suffered bone damage from the use of this drug, we are here to stand up for your rights.
Contact us today online or by telephone at 888-335-9457 to speak with a knowledgeable New York pharmaceutical litigation law firm.
Have You Been Harmed by Fosamax, Zometa or Aredia?
At Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney, we handle a wide range of drug liability claims, including those involving the prescription drug Fosamax, as well as Zometa and Aredia.
Our firm has started multiple suits for women who used Fosamax and unfortunately developed a serious bone disease known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Fosamax, made by Merck, is one of several drugs in the bisphosphonate category, all of which have been reported to cause ONJ (osteonecrosis of the jaw). Two others are the injection drugs Zometa and Aredia, made by Novartis. The drugs cause ONJ by preventing new bone from forming in the jaw. There has also been an association with fractured femurs.
1. Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
There is such a substantial amount of litigation for osteonecrosis of the jaw that the cases have been rounded up for congregation before one judge for Fosamax and one for Zometa and Aredia. The allegations in the cases are that the manufacturers involved had been long aware of the risk of ONJ but delayed in informing prescribing doctors. There was even a longer delay in notifying dentists about the risk. This is significant in that dentists in the past unknowingly attempted to treat the ONJ condition, only making it worse.
For the Fosamax litigation, it has been assigned to the Hon. John F. Keenan, In Re Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1789. He is coincidentally located in our back yard, the Southern District of New York. He manages the pre-trial discovery which includes Merck revealing important internal documents regarding their knowledge and handling of Fosamax. Further, depositions of Merck employees are currently taking place regarding their knowledge of injuries caused by Fosamax. Merck is very familiar with litigation, notably Vioxx and now Zetia/Vytorin.
Recent medical articles have made it clear that these bisphosphonate drugs tend to last for a very long time in the body. Hence even if a user stops, there are long-term risks. If you have been taking these drugs, be sure to adequately warn your dentist of current or prior use. Some recommendations have been that patients be treated only by dental surgeons familiar with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis.
2. Fractured Femur
New research suggests that use of Fosamax may increase the risk of a rare type of femur fracture due to impacting the ability of the bone to repair damage to the femur.
The study is published in the May/June 2008 issue of the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma. Researchers performed a review of femur fractures which resulted in emergency room treatment between January 2002 and March 2007. The fractures reviewed in the observational study involved injuries typically caused by the impacts of falls from a standing height or less.
Researchers identified a fracture pattern that was 98% specific to users of Fosamax, and the average duration of Fosamax use was longer among those who had the pattern than those who did not. 25 involved users of Fosamax and 76% of the Fosamax femur fractures involved the distinct characteristics identified in the fracture pattern.
We have filed suit for a woman in Virginia who suffered a femur fracture as she was walking. There was no impact to her leg at the time. Her physicians actually recommended seeking legal counsel due to this signature injury.
We are actively pursuing these cases, and please feel free to call us for a free and confidential consultation. We can handle cases in any state, and are already involved in the consolidated litigation against Merck for their Fosamax drug.
Contact Us for a Case Evaluation
If you have questions about pursuing a Fosamax claim, please contact us today online or by telephone at 888-335-9457 to speak with an experienced New York drug liability law firm. Our law office is conveniently located in a brownstone in Midtown Manhattan located at 113 East 37th Street.
