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Florida patients might be involved in defective products cases

In Florida and all other states, if a medical patient suffers injury or illness because of professional medical negligence, he or she can seek financial relief in civil court. If a patient dies as a result of such negligence, his or her immediate family members may file a legal claim on behalf of their deceased loved one. Similarly, if manufacturers or surgeons are aware that they are using defective products that place patients at risk for injury or illness, they may be held accountable for any adverse effects a patient has suffered through use of said products.

A controversial medical device has become the subject of major lawsuits after some have claimed that it has the potential to spread uterine cancer in women. The device is known as a “power Morcellator” and is often used during hysterectomy surgery. At least 28 lawsuits from one state involve claims that Johnson & Johnson (product maker) and Ethicon (subsidiary of J&J) failed to warn medical patients of known risks involved with the device. Those cases were recently transferred to a U.S. District Court where multi-district claims are consolidated.

The power Morcellator is comprised of tiny blades that are used to cut tissue into small pieces. There have been reports of women rapidly developing cancer after having surgeries where the product was used. In 2014, the Federal Drug Administration warned that one in 350 patients using the device risked spreading cancer of the uterus.

Many have claimed that the companies had prior knowledge, before the official warnings were issued, that the device was potentially harmful to women. The outcomes of the lawsuits have yet to be decided. Any Florida medical patient who believes that defective products have caused his or her injuries or illness is fully entitled to seek counsel from an experienced products liability lawyer.

Sourcedrugwatch.com, “Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon Morcellator Lawsuits Centralized“, Chris Elkins, Oct. 20, 2015

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