Fresenius Medical Care Faces Hundreds of Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Fresenius Medical Care Faces Hundreds of Wrongful Death Lawsuits

By Jessica Tyner

More lawsuits are being filed against Fresenius Medical Care as people are realizing that the company’s dialysis drugs GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, which were supposed to be safe, can actually be lethal. There are currently over 160 wrongful death lawsuits pending against Fresenius Medical Care in the Northern District of Massachusetts alone, where multidistrict litigation has been established. Hundreds more may be filed as families learn that their loved one’s death could have been avoided.

During kidney dialysis, a number of drugs are required to make the treatment work. Fresenius makes both GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, and holds the title of having the most kidney dialysis centers in the country. The majority of U.S. dialysis patients go to Fresenius centers and/or are treated with Fresenius products. GranuFlo and NaturaLyte were recalled in 2012, but not before hundreds of people watched their family members die from stroke, heart attack and other GranuFlo side effects.

An internal memo leaked to the FDA before the NaturaLyte/GranuFlo recall showed that Fresenius knew of at least 900 deaths caused by the dialysis products. Fresenius didn’t make this information public until the FDA forced the company to recall the products.

According to many GranuFlo victims, Fresenius’ goal was to make money. The company already had the most dialysis clinics in the country, and it makes sense to use their own products — even if those products can lead to death. Dialysis patients are already overwhelmed, scared and dealing with something completely new. They trust their doctors, and doctors depend on warning labels to make the right choices. What happens if those warning labels aren’t appropriate?

It took an internal memo leak for Fresenius to finally be forced into stopping GranuFlo and NaturaLyte. However, the clinics remain the most popular in the US. When a person is facing dialysis, it’s only natural that they’re most concerned about treating their kidney disease issues. Considering how safe dialysis drugs are is something that many people don’t fathom.
It should also be noted that dialysis patients are already in questionable health, which may contribute to Fresenius Medical Care “getting away” with using dangerous drugs for as long as they did. Many of the deaths may have been attributed to the patients’ already weakened conditions.

Did You Lose Someone to GranuFlo or NaturaLyte?

Did a loved pass away from a cardiac arrest or stroke following dialysis treatment? Did someone close to you survive a GranuFlo-related scare? Or are you a victim? If so, you may qualify to seek compensation through a GranuFlo lawsuit. Learn more at the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Submit your story, and a personal injury lawyer will contact you for a free legal review if you qualify.