New Lawsuit Claims Fresenius Knew GranuFlo/NaturaLyte Risks

A new GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit cites a chain of memos, going back to 2001, as evidence that Fresenius Medical Care knew their dialysis products were potentially dangerous. Gracey Goff has filed the lawsuit against Fresenius as next of kin of her mother, Beulah Goff. The lawsuit alleges that Fresenius produced defective dialysis products, which ultimately killed her mother.

The lawsuit alleges that two products produced by Fresenius, GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, were defective. These products were designed to be used to create a dialysis solution, a liquid solution with chemical properties that draw biological waste products out of the blood during dialysis. According to the GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit, these products can alter blood chemistry, creating a condition called alkalosis. In alkalosis, bicarbonate levels in the blood rise outside of normal parameters, leading to an increased blood pH. An increased blood pH can interfere with the function of muscles, including the heart muscle, potentially leading to sudden cardiac arrest.

Beulah Goff reportedly depended on dialysis to take over the function for her kidneys. However, she died in 2011 after a dialysis session. According to her daughter’s GranuFlo lawsuit, the cause of death was metabolic alkalosis and cardiac arrest.

The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit holds that long before Beulah Goff’s death, Fresenius had reason to believe that elevated blood pH was a concern with their dialysis products. To support this assertion, the lawsuit cites a 2004 study that found a dangerously high blood pH in dialysis patients. Even earlier, in 2002, an internal Fresenius memo reportedly made reference to the same issue.

Goff’s GranuFlo lawsuit further alleges that not only was Fresenius aware of these risks, but that they actively concealed these risks from the public. To support this assertion, the lawsuit points to a 2011 memo that explicitly states GranuFlo and NaturaLyte could cause sudden cardiac death. However, the memo was only distributed to Fresenius-affiliated dialysis centers. Other dialysis centers used Fresenius dialysis products, but the company did not release similar memos to unaffiliated dialysis centers — at least not until the 2011 memo was leaked to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit is Gracey Goff, Individually and as Representative of the Estate of Beulah Mae Goff, Deceased v. Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Case No. 3:13-cv-05065-B, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.

Legal Help for GranuFlo Victims

If you’ve lost a loved one to sudden cardiac death after they used Fresenius dialysis products, you’ve almost certainly been through a trying ordeal. The sudden loss of a loved one is an emotionally draining ordeal. In addition to the emotional toll of such a loss, surviving family members face financial challenges, including medical bills, lost income potential and final expenses. When facing such challenges, many people feel overwhelmed, or even depressed.

It is important to remember that regardless of the challenges you face, you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over you situation. You can start by visiting the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation for a legal review by a trained expert with a background in this type of litigation. The initial consultation is completely free of charge and from it, you can receive addition all guidance on the best steps you can in your specific situation.