Merck & Co. recently announced an agreement to pay $100 million in order to settle all pending lawsuits regarding the company’s NuvaRing contraceptive.

The agreement covers all cases that have been filed in state and federal courts, as well as any claims that have not been filed yet. The company says 95 percent of the 3,800 eligible people need to take part in the agreement in order for it to be put in place.

NuvaRing, available by prescription only, is a plastic vaginal ring that releases low doses of two female hormones, estrogen and progestin. While the ring is in place, these hormones are released in order to block ovulation.

The ring was designed by the company Organon and Schering. It became available in the U.S. in 2002. But in 2007, users of the product began filing lawsuits against the company, alleging that the product could cause blood clots. These clots can lead to heart attacks, strokes and sudden death. Lawsuits also accused the manufacturer of failing to warn the public about these potential health risks.

Merck purchased Schering-Plough in 2009 and inherited the liability blamed on the NuvaRing, along with all the lawsuits. Merck denies all liability to any injuries suffered by victims in its settlement agreement.

If the settlement is approved, it would be much less than what other manufacturers have had to pay out for similar product defects. Last year, Bayer paid almost $1.6 billion in settlements to the thousands of claimants in lawsuits accusing the company’s Yaz and Yazmin birth control pills of causing blood clots that also led to strokes and heart attacks.

If your doctor has prescribed a medication which caused injuries or left you disabled, contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney to find out what civil action you may be able to file for compensation in regards to the pain and loss you may have suffered.

Several subjects regarding healthcare and patient–doctor responsibility have come to light in the wake of the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act. One such necessary discussion that has been much less prominent has been the need to reform the framework for medical malpractice. According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, however, this is one of the most important debates the nation is not having.

One important tenant of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, attempted to curb the cost of wasted money in the healthcare industry. The majority of this waste comes from three causes, reports the Huffington Post: defensive medicine, “caused by unnecessary tests and procedures done in part to help protect doctors from possible lawsuits;” a reimbursement system that rewards doctors for providing more instead of better care; and the cost of “a torrent of bureaucracy.” The article suggests that inefficient healthcare systems waste approximately one trillion dollars of taxpayer money every year. “Solving these problems,” reports the Huffington Post, “requires entirely new frameworks.”

One such initiative included in an early draft of the Act included “alternative systems of justice,” according to the Huffington Post, but this provision was tempered with the actual passage of the law. As it stands, patients can opt out of participating in these special types of health care courts at any time.  

In 2012 alone, according to the New York Daily News, medical malpractice suits costs New York City $134 million by August alone. According to a Connecticut State government legislative report, a total of 3,302 claims were reported in the state between 2008 and 2012, and just less than half (1,562) closed with an indemnity payment. The total cost for the state over the five-year reporting period was $861 million.

Special health care courts that are made mandatory could help to keep the cost of medical malpractice down for taxpayers, no matter in which state you live. Regardless, medical malpractice is a serious issue that requires the assistance of legal counsel. If you or someone you is considering a medical malpractice suit in Connecticut, contact the law offices of Richard H. Raphael for a free initial consultation today.

As complex medical procedures increase in popularity, so do the mistakes that accompany them. According to Medical News Today, the number of litigated cases involving malpractice in laser hair removal treatments has surged in recent years. In 2011, Medical News Today reports, “dermatologic surgeons carried out 1.6 million treatments” in the U.S.—one of the most common cosmetic operations performed in the nation.

The major risk with laser hair removal practices comes most often from non-physicians “who may have minimal training,” reports The New York Times.  In addition to the figures compiled by Medical News Today, the Times suggests that there may be several unreported operations performed annually as well. “The percentage of lawsuits over laser survey that involved a non-physician operator rose to 78 percent in 2011 from 36 percent in 2008,” the Times reports.

Eleven states do not have regulatory laws concerning laser hair removal. According to the State of Connecticut Medical Examining Board, in 1996 such regulatory measures were approved in the state, making it illegal for any physician without a specific license to employ lasers for hair removal. “In making this ruling,” the report states, “the Board is choosing to err on the side of safety to best protect the public.”

Risks associated with laser hair removal can be permanent, though the procedure itself may not be. According to The New York Times, risks can include (but are not limited to:

• Disfiguring injuries;
• Severe burns in sensitive areas (“like the bikini line and the mustache area above the lips”);
• Death. 

Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery Director Dr. Tina Alster told the Times that, “there’s a perception by the public that anybody can do this. People need to remember, it’s not the laser doing the work, it is the operator.”

If you or someone you know has been injured or disfigured by a laser hair removal treatment in Connecticut, you may be eligible for compensation. The most important first step is to seek the counsel of a legal professional. Contact the law offices of Richard R. Raphael for a free initial consultation today.