DaVita Inc., a company that provides dialysis services for patients with chronic kidney failure nationwide, has agreed to pay a $55 million settlement in a malpractice claim that alleges the company overuses a particularly dangerous drug. If your family has undergone abuse at the hands of a drug company, call a New York dangerous drug attorney.
According to an article released by Yahoo! Finance the lawsuit was sparked in 2002 by a whistleblower’s claim that alleged the company’s physicians overprescribed the drug Epogen, manufactured by Amgen, over a 10-year period.
Epogen is an anemia treatment drug designed to increase oxygen-carrying red blood cells in order to decrease the need for blood transfusions, which can be painful and expensive. In 2009, a study discovered that Epogen can double a patient’s risk of having a stroke. Drugs similar to Epogen were also found to have similar effects.
DaVita officials said that they stand by their physicians and their anemia management practices. They said the $55 million settlement, along with a concession to pay attorney fees, was made to protect the best interests of the company’s shareholders.
DaVita is based in Denver and manages over 1,800 outpatient centers nationwide.
Whether your injury comes in the form of a dangerous drug, the negligence of a doctor, or a defective medical device, the end result is the same: an unnecessary risk for you, the patient. If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of medical malpractice, you should not have to suffer alone, without compensation.
At Gacovino, Lake & Associates we have experienced New York dangerous drug attorneys who are waiting to get you the compensation you deserve for your pain suffering. Call us today at: 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
