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The FDA recently issued a warning about the type 2 diabetes drug canagliflozin, which is sold under the brand names Invokana and Invokamet. According to the FDA, the drug increases the risk of leg and foot amputations. The FDA is requiring the medications to carry new warnings about the risks. The warnings required include the most serious boxed warnings available. Two clinical trials have shown that among patients taking canagliflozin, they experienced leg and foot amputations about twice as often as in patients who took a placebo. The most common amputations were amputations of the toes and the middle of …

I’m so sorry to hear about your child’s dog bite and scarring. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over four million people are bitten by dogs every year. Many of these bites are minor and do not require medical treatment. Serious bites may require hospitalization and surgery, and some even result in death. In many cases involving dog bites, the wounds are not only physical, they are also psychological. It can be terrifying to be attacked by a dog, and victims can suffer stress after the incident. In addition, those left with serious scars and wounds may …

You may be able to sue the company if you have been injured in an Uber or Lyft vehicle. Whether or not you can sue and who you can sue depend on the circumstances of the accident. Normally, in order to pursue an automobile accident claim in any situation, you must be able to prove who was at fault, and that you were injured. If the Uber or Lyft driver caused the accident, you may be able to sue the driver. However, if the driver only has a personal insurance policy, it may not be possible to collect any damages …

I’m so sorry to hear about your amputation. What happened to you is very rare, but does happen on occasion. Raw shellfish can contain bacteria, which in unusual cases can cause a bacterial infection in the individual consuming the shellfish. In a small percentage of cases involving bacterial infections, the infection is resistant to drugs, and the victim may have to undergo an amputation to prevent the infection from spreading. In order to recover in any negligence case, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant breached a duty that was owed to him or her, and that harm resulted as …

Typically, if something goes wrong during a medical procedure, including a procedure in which intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring was done, you may be able to sue if you can show the medical provider committed medical malpractice. This is true even if you signed a consent form. Medical consent forms normally disclose the risks of the procedure, possible complications, and may contain further information about the procedure. The medical consent form is not a waiver in which you give up all rights to legal compensation in the event something goes wrong. Instead, it just shows that you have been notified that there …

It’s not uncommon for a newborn to be born with jaundice. When there are high levels of waste in the blood, the liver removes bilirubin, which is a waste product, from the blood. If a baby has high levels of waste in the blood, that is known as hyperbilirubemia (also called jaundice). Hyperbilirubemia, if allowed to continue, can cause a serious condition known as kernicterus. Jaundice is very easy to diagnose and treat in newborns. About 60 percent of newborns have jaundice. In most cases, the eyes and the skin are yellow. In infants with darker complexions, there are simple …

Motorcycle helmets are critical to avoid serious head injuries in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, many people have suffered serious head and brain injuries because of defective helmet designs. If a motorcycle helmet is defectively designed or manufactured, that defect can contribute to death or serious injury when an accident occurs. There are a number of private and public regulatory agencies that set safety standards for motorcycle helmets, as well as test them for effectiveness. The Consumer Product & Safety Commission is the agency with the ultimate authority over helmets. The CPSC can order a recall if helmets are not effective, …

Los Angeles has some of the worst traffic in the country. When you combine bad traffic and hot tempers, disaster can ensue. Aggressive driving, also known as road rage, is dangerous and against the law. Drivers with road rage may speed, dart in and out of traffic and around other cars, run red lights, make frequent and unnecessary lane changes, follow too closely, and engage in a number of other aggressive and dangerous behaviors. When these behaviors are combined, the risks of an accident are increased exponentially. Driving that is too aggressive is against California driving laws. Drivers with road …

I’m sorry to hear about your accident. There are laws that regulate when and how automobiles must yield for bicycles. In general, automobiles must giver bicyclists the same consideration as other vehicles on the roads. Bicyclists are also expected to obey the rules of the road as well. It’s been estimated that in over half of the accidents that occur between automobiles and bicycles, automobile drivers are to blame. One of the most common causes of accidents between automobiles and bicycles is a failure to yield to bicyclists. This can happen for several reasons. The automobile driver may be unaware …

Electrocution can sometimes happen on construction projects. Electrocution can cause death, but a person can be electrocuted and still survive. The extent of the injuries typically depends on the voltage, the pathway the electricity takes through the body, and the amount of time the current passes through the body. Electrocutions can hurt the heart and the nervous system, as well as muscles and organs. Electrocutions most commonly happen on worksites when power lines are not properly marked. On average, about one worker per day in the U.S. is killed because of an electrocution. Many more are injured, and some of …

Pedicle screws are used as a common part of spinal fusion surgeries. They grip the spinal segment and connect it to a rod. The screws are normally placed at two or three consecutive spine segments, and a short rod can be used to connect the screws. This can prevent motion at the segments that are being fused. In many cases, the bone graft will grow, and the screws and rods are no longer needed. At that point, they can be removed with a later back surgery. However, it’s typically recommended that the pedicle screws stay in place unless they cause …

I’m sorry to hear about your loved one’s treatment in prison. Just because a person is in prison does not mean that they lose the right to proper medical treatment. When a prisoner is ill or suffers an injury, they deserve the same medical treatment as any other individual, and if they do not receive it the negligent parties can be held liable. If a prisoner receives improper medical treatment, the law recognizes several possible causes of action. First, prisoners are protected under the Constitution from cruel and unusual treatment. Normally, in order to win on a claim of cruel …