Fresenius Dialysis Death Focus of New GranuFlo Recall Lawsuit

A North Carolina man may be one of the last deaths that occurred before a massive recall of dangerous kidney dialysis chemicals, according to information cited in a recently filed wrongful death lawsuit against Fresenius Medical Care.

By the time that Calvin Montgomery underwent hemodialysis at a Fresenius Medical Care facility on June 2, 2012, the company had already issued a voluntary recall of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte dialysis chemicals. At the end of that month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would upgrade it to a Class 1 recall, the most wide-ranging classification in the agency’s policies. Unfortunately, his wife, Daisy, alleges that it came too late for Montgomery who reportedly succumbed to GranuFlo cardiac arrest side effects.

According to the surviving spouse’s GranuFlo lawsuit attorney, Fresenius Medical Care had by then acquired significant data indicating that the cleaning chemicals the company sold and marketed were dangerous. They both contained sodium acetate, a precursor of bicarbonates which are substances that have been linked to heart failure and other problems since the 1980s. In Fresenius’ case, the complaint alleges that the company knew that the use of the two treatments would increase bicarbonate levels since at least 2004.

Memos issued to treatment centers like the one Calvin Montgomery used noted that kidney dialysis technicians should reduce the amount of dialysate used to limit the risk of GranuFlo cardiac arrest side effects. In spite of that, the levels of bicarbonates were known to increase, and a study of 2010 adverse event reports indicated that hundreds of deaths had occurred in a fraction of the company’s facilities.

The NaturaLyte heart failure lawsuit is Daisy Montgomery et al. v. Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. et al, Case No. 13-cv-12522, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts. She is seeking damages on counts of breach of warranty, strict liability and fraudulent concealment.

Help for Victims of Kidney Dialysis Injury, Death

If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, metabolic alkalosis or other injury after undergoing kidney dialysis with GranuFlo and/or NaturaLyte, you may be eligible to take legal action against the manufacturer of the dialysis drugs. Filing a lawsuit may be the only way you’ll be able to obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages. Learn more and obtain a free case evaluation at the GranuFlo/NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.