Daughter Sues Fresenius over GranuFlo, NaturaLyte Complications

Daughter Sues Fresenius over GranuFlo, NaturaLyte Complications

By Robert J. Boumis

Samantha Franklin Jackson of Mississippi has sued Fresenius, a medical supply company, over the death of her mother, Annie Franklin. Jackson’s wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Fresenius’s dialysis products, specifically GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, caused her mother’s death. 

Annie Franklin died in Jefferson County, Mississippi on February 8, 2006, after undergoing dialysis treatment using Fresenius dialysis products. According to the GranuFlo lawsuit, Annie Franklin’s death was attributed to a “cardiovascular event.” 

The GranuFlo lawsuit alleges that Fresenius knew or should have known that it was manufacturing dangerous medical products. According to the GranuFlo lawsuit, Fresenius issued an internal memo as early as 2011, indicating a “clinical crisis.” The memo referred to issues related to changes in patients’ blood chemistry after using GranuFlo and NaturaLyte. Specifically, the products were associated with dangerous potassium and bicarbonate levels. Alterations to these blood chemistry parameters can promote lethal cardiac arrest. The memo also made reference to “previous communications.” This memo’s content was only released to Fresenius-affiliated dialysis centers, not the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or non-Fresenius dialysis centers that used GranuFlo and NaturaLyte.

The GranuFlo lawsuit further alleges that not only did Fresenius fail to act on the information in a timely manner, but that they actively concealed the information from patients, physicians, and regulatory agencies like the FDA. Per the GranuFlo lawsuit, the FDA made inquires about the safety of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, and Fresenius issued a “scientifically ambiguous” memo that allegedly contained very little in the way of actionable information to everyone who purchased these products. Eventually, the FDA issued a class-1 recall for these dialysis products as more information about the risks became public.

The GranuFlo lawsuit asserts that Fresenius’s actions constitute neglect, fraud, and breach of warranty, causing Fresenius to be liable for Annie Franklin’s death. 

The case is Samantha Franklin Jackson, Individually and as Wrongful Death Beneficiary of Annie Franklin, Deceased, v. Fresenius USA, Incorporated, et al., Case No. 1:13-cv-12359-DPW, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Mississippi.

If you or a loved one used Fresenius dialysis products and went on to suffer from serious health problems, you almost certainly have a challenging situation to face. Serious heart problems, like those associated with metabolic alkalosis, are medical emergencies, and usually require intensive medical care. This condition usually entails pain, stress, medical bills and lost wages. And unfortunately, metabolic alkalosis can cause sudden cardiac death, which passes on much of the burden of the situation to family members. In this situation, family members find themselves facing the medical bills, final expenses and lost income potential. But you need to remember that regardless of the situation you’ve found yourself facing, you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your 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 review by a legal expert with a background in this type of litigation. The initial consultation is completely free of charge and from here, you can receive additional guidance on the best steps to take in your exact situation.