Tag: Baltimore Personal Injury Attorneys

Misuse of Pitocin Can Cause Birth Injury and Uterine Rupture

Posted on by YostLaw

Not every woman’s labor is ideal. Some women need medication to help start (induce) labor or manage the length of time the woman is in labor. It is relatively common for pregnant women to be administered Pitocin (or its generic, oxytocin) to manage labor. Pitocin stimulates the uterus, helping to produce contractions. The problem is that Pitocin can take up to 40 minutes to fully kick in.

Contractions during labor occur in a “squeeze and release” pattern of uterine muscle tightening followed by uterine muscle relaxation. Ideally, Pitocin helps establish and maintain a healthy pattern of uterine contractions during labor but, if the wrong amount of Pitocin is delivered, or this medication is introduced too quickly, it can overstimulate the uterus and cause dangerous contractions harmful to both the baby and the mother.

If the mother is experiencing too many contractions or those contractions are too strong or last too long, the baby’s oxygen supply could be interrupted, causing fetal distress. If a shortage of oxygen (hypoxia) also causes the fetal heart rate to slow (ischemia) the infant has suffered a hypoxic-ischemic episode. If the oxygen and blood flow to the baby’s brain are interrupted during labor and delivery, even if the interruption is only for a short time, the baby may suffer a type of permanent brain damage called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE.

Hypoxic birth injuries can cause:

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cognitive Disabilities
  • Severe Seizures
  • Behavioral Disorders

Less often, the over stimulation of the uterus with Pitocin, or Oxycontin, can cause a uterine rupture, endangering bot the mother and the baby and requiring emergency c-section to immediately deliver the baby and repair or remove (hysterectomy) the mother’s ruptured uterus.

Complications due to the administration of Pitocin during childbirth are the cause of preventable injury and death. Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others. If you would like to discuss a potential claim arising from a birth or birth-related injury, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. For a free consultation, please call The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529.)

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Hip Replacement Manufacturer To Pay Over $1 Billion in Major Settlement

Posted on by YostLaw

Stryker Corp, a major manufacturer of artificial hip implants, announced on Monday, November 3rd that it has reached a settlement agreement with the thousands of patients that were harmed by their all-metal Rejuvenate and ABG II hip-replacement models.

Stryker, a subsidiary of the DePuy division of Johnson & Johnson, originally recalled these models in July of 2012, citing numerous complaints by patients and medical professionals alike that the metal-on-metal construction caused serious complications. In almost all cases, the all-metal artificial joints corroded quickly, causing inflammation in the tissue surrounding the implants, as well as elevated levels of dangerous metals in the blood.

This settlement deal will cost Stryker over 1 billion dollars, making this agreement one of the largest sums paid by an implant manufacturer in the last year. An estimated 250,000 hip replacement procedures take place around the country every year, and metal-on-metal devices once accounted for nearly two out of every three of these procedures.

This number has plummeted since the original Stryker recall, with physicians now recommending hip replacement devices that use a combination of plastic, ceramic and metal materials.

The defective product and medical malpractice attorneys of The Yost Legal Group have a proven track record of standing up to big manufacturers and securing the maximum compensation for our clients that have suffered due to negligent or defective medical devices. If you or a loved one have experienced any of the following symptoms due to a metal-on-metal hip implant, contact the experienced attorneys at The Yost Legal Group immediately:

  • Osteolysis, or bone dissolution
  • Synovitis, or inflammation of the synovial membrane in joints
  • Pseudo-tumors
  • Joint fluid
  • Tissue or bone necrosis
  • Hypersensitivity to metal

Medical devices are designed to reduce pain and increase mobility and longevity. When these procedures instead cause pain, complications and unforeseen expenses, it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side. The caring product liability attorneys at The Yost Legal Group will speak with you for free to discuss your situation and help you understand your rights.

Cal 1-800-YOST-LAW (1-800-967-8529) now for a free confidential consultation.

The Yost Legal Group, Experienced Lawyers Dedicated to Protecting your Rights.

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