Edwards & Ragatz Newsletter

Edwards & Ragatz News

March 2010 Issue 1

Greetings!

One of the goals we set at the beginning of this year was to establish better communications with our clients and client representatives. We hope to accomplish that through this newsletter, and we plan to keep you updated on news from our firm, product recalls and other useful information.

A link at the bottom of this newsletter will allow you to easily communicate with us. Click on Contact Us: at the bottom of the page to send us your comments and suggestions.

We hope you enjoy our first newsletter.

Sincerely,

Tom Edwards & Eric Ragatz

You may have seen us in the news:

Eric Ragatz (second from right) and Tom Edwards (right) announced they filed lawsuits against Memorial Hospital.

Edwards & Ragatz Represents 6 Individuals With Lawsuits Against Memorial Hospital

Six of our clients developed bedsores and one developed bedsores and blindness between March 2007 and December 2008 while they were patients at Memorial Hospital.

We filed six lawsuits for these clients in February against Memorial Hospital.

"For the first time we have seen bedsores in every hospital in this community, but the most have been at Memorial," said Tom Edwards, senior partner at Edwards & Ragatz. "Bedsores are preventable with the basics of care: food, water and turning the patient."

The patients in the lawsuits include men and women ranging in age from 42 to 82. They all contracted injurious bedsores while at the hospital, three while they were in the intensive care unit.

Why did this happen? Because of a lack of training, supervision and sufficient staffing.

"Bedsores are caused by neglect to provide adequate care," said Eric Ragatz, senior partner at Edwards & Ragatz. "These are painful wounds that are cleaned with a scalpel, sometimes down to the bone. It is horrendous to watch a loved one suffer from these wounds."

(View video coverage at www.edwardsragatz.com.)

Have you taken any of these medications? Avandia

FDA Recalled, Issued Warnings On These Drugs

These are just three drugs that have been recalled or mandated by the Food and Drug Administration to carry Black Box warning labels.

For a complete list of drugs with active FDA Safety Alerts visit the FDA Web site.

Rosiglitazone maleate, marketed as Avandia, Avandamet and Avandaryl, is used in the treatment of type-2 diabetes. It has severe side effects that include congestive heart failure, heart attack and hand or foot fractures and has been required by the FDA to carry a black box.

Lavaquin, an antibiotic in the class called fluroquinolone, also has a black box warning. The drug has been linked to tendon damage and ruptures in the Achilles tendon, rotator cuff, biceps, hand and thumb.

Heparin was recalled because several serious adverse events and deaths have been reported with it's use. Those events include allergic or hypersensitivity-type reactions, oral swelling, nausea, vomiting, sweating, shortness of breath and severe low blood pressure.

Attorney Spotlight:

C. Leigh Wilhite, J.D., R.N.

Join us in welcoming C. Leigh Wilhite J.D., R.N., to the firm as a litigation attorney. Wilhite will practice in the areas of personal injury, medical negligence, nursing home negligence, product liability and complex civil litigation. She has eight years experience in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, professional malpractice defense and representation of health care providers before their licensing boards.

Wilhite also has the distinction of holding both Florida and Georgia nursing licenses.

She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, the State Bar of Georgia in 2004, and to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida in 2007.

Gate River Run athletes received E&R's brochure

Runners in the Gate River Run received Edwards & Ragatz' brochure, "Be Prepared Before A Car Accident."

A form inside lists what you need to do and write down after an accident.

Get Your Free Brochure

Send your name and address to: newsletter@edwardsragatz.com.

Knowledge is Power

Visit these sites:

March is brain injury awareness month, visit the Brain Injury Association of Florida .

Florida Department of Elder Affairs has a senior legal helpline and numbers to report elder abuse.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has recent vehicle safety ratings.

Law day logo

Jacksonville Bar Association members have many events planned for Law Day 2010. Check our next newsletter for the schedule.

2010 Product Recalls

1.5 million* Graco Passage™, Alano™ and Spree™ strollers and travel systems are being recalled by Graco Children's Products Inc. The stroller's canopy hinge poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard.

Tylenol, Motrin & St. Joseph's aspirin -- The recall includes regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children's Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children's Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep and St. Joseph's aspirin. The full list is available on www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

951,000* home improvement books are recalled by Oxmoor House Inc. The books contain technical diagram and wiring instruction errors that could lead to incorrect installation or repair of electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard. For more information, call (866) 696-7602.

Dorel Asia SRL is recalling 635,000* Dorel Asia cribs. The drop side hardware can fall and cause the drop side to detach from the crib, creating a space that could entrap, suffocate or strangle an infant or toddler.

*Numbers are approximate
Source: www.cpsc.gov Web site