Victims May Seek Steroid Meningitis Lawyer as Deadly Outbreak Continues

October 14, 2012

As of Thursday, Oct. 10, 170 people in 11 states have become ill, and 14 have died from a fungal meningitis outbreak linked to tainted medication used in spinal injections. As more cases continue to surface, victims are scrambling to get the care they need and to get the monetary compensation they deserve through the services of a steroid meningitis lawyer.

Tainted Shots Widely Distributed, 600 Doses Administered In California

As yet, no definitive cause of the fungal meningitis outbreak has been determined. However, fungal meningitis is normally a rare disease, and all the victims identified in the current epidemic have one thing in common: they were treated with an epidural steroid injection that was produced at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts.

On September 26, the New England Compounding Center announced a recall of three lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate. The three recalled lots were as follows:

- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #05212012@68, BUD 11/17/2012

- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #06292012@26, BUD 12/26/2012

- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #08102012@51, BUD 2/6/2013

That announcement was followed on October 6 by a voluntary recall of all products that were distributed from the Framingham facility.

But, the damage had been done. The potentially tainted epidural steroid injections had already been administered to as many as 13,000 patients across the country, including 600 in California alone.

Symptoms and Essential Information

Methylprednisolone acetate injections are commonly used to treat back pain. The potentially contaminated shots were given to patients starting May 21, 2012.

The onset of fungal meningitis has typically occurred one to four weeks following a patient's receipt of a methylprednisolone injection. However, there have also been reports of shorter and longer periods of time between getting a methylprednisolone shot and the onset of meningitis symptoms.

The following symptoms have been reported:

- Fever

- Headache

- Sensitivity to light

- Stiffness

- Weakness

- Slurred speak

- Mounting pain, redness or swelling at the epidural steroid injection site

If you have received an epidural steroid injection since May 21 and you've noticed any of the aforementioned symptoms, you should contact a doctor immediately. Fungal meningitis can be a very serious illness, and several fatal cases have already been reported.

Legal Representation From a California Steroid Meningitis Lawyer

For those who have become ill due to a tainted injection, or for the family members of those who have been killed, it is important to retain a steroid meningitis lawyer with a national focus. Medical bills can quickly pile up in the wake of a fungal meningitis infection. In addition, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, and other types of loss.

Getting in touch with a steroid meningitis lawyer is about more than just obtaining the monetary damages you are entitled to. It is also about holding medical manufacturing companies responsible for the harm they have caused through careless production practices. If your life has been impacted by the recent fungal meningitis outbreak, stand up for your legal rights and talk to a lawyer today.

Article provided by The Brandi Law Firm
Visit us at www.brandilaw.com