Kelley & Ferraro

Food and Drug Administration under scrutiny re foreign-made drugs

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Pharmaceutical Litigation on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

More than likely, Ohio residents diagnosed with high blood pressure are more than aware of all of the recalls for their prescribed medications. The recalls have caused a great deal of trepidation for patients and doctors as they try to deal with the shortage of drugs that do not contain the defects that caused the recalls. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is under scrutiny regarding its policies and procedures when it comes to foreign-made drugs.

Many of the generic drugs taken by millions of Americans, including some here in Ohio, are made in countries whose standards are not as high as those in this or other countries are. The reality is that around 90% of generic drugs and 40% of the finished medications taken in the United States are not made here, along with 80% of the ingredients that go into them. The FDA is tasked with making sure that they all meet the appropriate standards.

What life may look like after a rare, asbestos-related cancer

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos/Mesothelioma on Friday, May 17, 2019.

One of the first things that people diagnosed with mesothelioma hear is that this particular condition is incurable, and often terminal. Nearly everyone who contracts this rare cancer does so through exposure to asbestos. Those fortunate enough to survive through their treatment protocol never quite return to their normal lives.

Many cancer patients here in Ohio and elsewhere receive a clean bill of health and are declared "cancer free" by their doctors. However, one of the issues with mesothelioma is that it never quite goes away. Radiation, chemotherapy and other treatments may be required well after the initial course of treatment ends in an attempt to keep the cancer from returning.

One driver's actions can lead to vehicle accidents

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

People who do not take their obligation to drive safely seriously endanger everyone on the road, whether they live here in Ohio or elsewhere. It only takes one driver failing to pay attention due to distraction, impairment or fatigue to cause a crash. The resulting vehicle accidents could end with at least one person dead and several others injured.

Police believe this happened in a crash that took place on a recent Sunday at around 3:15 a.m. The preliminary report indicates the crash happened where north Interstate 271 and west Interstate 90 merge. A vehicle headed the wrong direction on the interchange bridge slammed into an SUV filled with five people.

Stop signs are not a suggestion and prevent car accidents

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

Traffic signals and signs are not designed to aggravate or inconvenience drivers. In Ohio and elsewhere, their primary intent is to control the flow of traffic and prevent car accidents. When drivers fail to heed them, they put the lives of everyone in their vicinity at risk for serious or fatal injuries.

On a recent Sunday afternoon shortly before 1:30 p.m., a baby paid the ultimate price of another driver's failure to obey a stop sign. Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived at the scene to discover two vehicles occupied by several people were involved in the accident. When the vehicle that ran the stop sign slammed into the other vehicle, it shoved it off the road and flipped over. It was mentioned that several occupants were not properly restrained at the time.

What patients should know about all these FDA drug recalls

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Pharmaceutical Litigation on Thursday, May 9, 2019.

In the last year, numerous medications have been recalled due to impurities, manufacturing and contamination. The most notable involve several blood pressure medications that the Food and Drug Administration says contain chemicals that could cause cancer. There is no hard estimate from the FDA or the manufacturers regarding when supplies will be replenished, but the bigger worry for many patients here in Ohio and elsewhere is what they need to know about all these recalls.

Patients should not stop taking their medications without first consulting with their doctors. This could put their lives at risk, perhaps more than the reason for the recall. The drugs and their efficacy are not why the recalls were issued. Instead, the concern is over manufacturing processes that cause the impurities and contamination found in them.

What parts of the body are affected by asbestos-related cancer?

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos/Mesothelioma on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Ohio residents who suffered from asbestos exposure at some point in their lives could live for years, decades in fact, wondering whether that exposure will come back to haunt them. The possibility of contracting a rare asbestos-related cancer called mesothelioma could loom over their heads for up to 50 years. The question that could be on their minds is what parts of the body this cancer affects.

For instance, why is it called mesothelioma? This cancer affects the mesothelium tissue of the body. This tissue lines the stomach, lungs, heart and other organs. When tumors develop in this tissue, it leads to this type of cancer. Most often, the disease begins in an individual's lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or another organ.

Man awarded $80 million after getting cancer from using Roundup

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP on Monday, May 6, 2019.

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Last year, we shared a story about the legal battle between the manufacturers of the weed killer Roundup, Monsanto, and its victims who developed cancer after using it. A victim had his case expedited by the court, and he decided to settle for $78 million in order to find a resolution within his lifetime.

Another man in a more recent case was awarded $80 million in damages for his terminal illness. Monsanto has appealed both the first and the latest settlement.

Failing to obey traffic signs often leads to vehicle accidents

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Sunday, May 5, 2019.

Traffic signs, particularly those at intersections, are designed to control the flow of vehicles, pedestrians and others. When drivers obey these signs, they increase the odds of avoiding vehicle accidents. On the other hand, when those signs are ignored, or a driver obeys them but misinterprets or fails to see the traffic, crashes happen.

On a recent Sunday night at around 8:20 p.m., a 42-year-old man headed south on Ohio IR 75 exit ramp. When he came to a stop sign, he brought the vehicle to a stop and then entered the intersection. At the same time, a 53-year-old man and his 50-year-old passenger occupied a vehicle headed east on SR 103.

The EPA makes a move to reduce asbestos exposure

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos-Related Deaths on Friday, April 26, 2019.

Even now, in 2019, people across the country, including here in Ohio, continue to suffer from illnesses such as mesothelioma, which is almost exclusively caused by a toxic substance that people have known causes conditions such as this for a long time. Asbestos exposure continues to occur each year, and the Environmental Protection Agency is now making a move to attempt to curb it for good. The question is whether it will work.

The agency cannot simply ban the use of asbestos in the United States. Instead, the EPA issued a new rule, the Significant New Use Rule, whose purpose is to ban asbestos throughout the country almost completely. The rule requires industrial companies to make a formal request for the EPA's approval prior to importing or manufacturing asbestos.

SlideShare offers guidance after a mesothelioma diagnosis

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos Exposure on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

Our firm recently published a SlideShare that provides helpful information for mesothelioma victims and their families. Learn which industries exposed workers to deadly asbestos fibers. We will help you fight for compensation for your losses, compensation that can be used by your family in the future.