Dialysis Patient’s Death Linked to GranuFlo Side Effects

By TopClassActions | October 3, 2013

Category: Pharmaceuticals

By John Curran

Kidney Dialysis Lawsuit A GranuFlo wrongful death lawsuit alleging that kidney dialysis chemicals led to a family member’s death was transferred to U.S. District Court in Massachusetts on September 16.

Kimberly Johnson and other plaintiffs allege that relative Robin Brown underwent kidney dialysis for less than one month at White Memorial Medical Center before dying of GranuFlo cardiac arrest side effects on July, 10, 2011. The complaint alleges that not only did Fresenius Medical Care know of the risks for more than a decade, the company failed to inform other facilities like White Memorial that the products could cause potentially fatal side effects.

Beginning in 2000, corporate officials were noting that kidney dialysis technicians in the company’s facilities had failed to account for the excess bicarbonate levels caused by GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, situations that have been known to increase the risk for heart problems since the 1980s. The officials decided to reduce the amount of bicarbonate added to minimize the possibility of NaturaLyte side effects.

According to memos issued in 2003, reducing the amount of bicarbonate did not work. Fresenius officials noted ongoing fatalities through 2008 because the two chemicals contained the bicarbonate precursor sodium acetate, according to Johnson’s NaturaLyte side effects lawsuit lawyer. In 2011, Fresenius warned its own treatment facilities not to use the products, citing several hundred deaths linked to GranuFlo cardiac arrest side effects at only a fraction of company kidney dialysis centers in 2010.

Had the company advised its own technicians as well as those of other facilities prior to the 2011 memo being leaked, Kimberly Johnson and other plaintiffs say that Robin Brown might still be alive today. Counts against Fresenius Medical Care include strict products liability, negligence, failure to warn, breaches of several warranties, fraud, unjust enrichment and wrongful death.

The NaturaLyte wrongful death lawsuit is Kimberly Johnson, et al. v. Fresenius USA Inc., et al., Case No. 13-cv-12283, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Many families are finding out that sudden cardiac death may have been a result of NaturaLyte side effects and not by other conditions suffered by loved ones. If you or someone you know developed heart problems while undergoing kidney dialysis, learn more about your legal options by visiting the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. While there, fill out the short form to obtain a free case eligibility review with a NaturaLyte side effects lawsuit lawyer. You may be able to pursue compensatory damages as a result of injuries or wrongful death.

All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.

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