Lawsuit Blames GranuFlo/NaturaLyte Complications for Dialysis Patient’s Death

By TopClassActions | November 19, 2013

Category: Pharmaceuticals

By Robert J. Boumis

Fresenius Dialysis Lawsuit The heir of Grace Burton has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Fresenius Medical Care, alleging the company’s dialysis products caused Burton’s death.

According to the lawsuit, Burton died of cardiac arrest in April 2008, when she underwent cardiac arrest while having dialysis at a Fresenius-affiliated walk-in dialysis center. The lawsuit alleges that two Fresenius-made dialysis products, GranuFlo or NaturaLyte, caused her death. The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit also alleges that Fresenius was not only aware of the risks posed by the products, but actively concealed them.

To support these assertions, the GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit cites a 2011 internal memo that Fresenius issued to Fresenius-affiliated dialysis centers. The memo cites an internal study completed in 2010 that warns of a potential risk associated with an elevated level of bicarbonate in the blood. This elevated bicarbonate level can cause a condition called alkalosis, an elevation of blood pH. Since the many chemical reactions of the human body have adapted to function at a very specific pH range, raising the pH of the blood can wreak havoc on the body. In particular, elevated blood pH can interfere with the ions heart tissues use to beat, triggering cardiac arrest.

In March 2012, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) contacted Fresenius regarding the problems stated in the memo. Initially, Fresenius’s memo had only gone to Fresenius-affiliated dialysis centers, not other companies that used these products. The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit contends that this was a deliberate concealment on the part of the part of Fresenius. The lawsuit further alleges that Fresenius concealed the risks as long as it could prior to the 2012 Class 1 recall of the dialysis products.

The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit alleges that without negligence and fraud on Fresenius’s part, Burton would have never gone into cardiac arrest. The lawsuit also asserts that Burton would have never been exposed to GranuFlo or NaturaLyte had Fresenius taken steps to protect the public from the risk of alkalosis associated with these dialysis products.

The GranuFlo/NaturaLyte lawsuit is formally titled Monica Burton, Individually and on Behalf of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Grace Burton, Deceased v. Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated, et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-00261-SAA, in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District, Panola County, Mississippi.

Obtain a Free GranuFlo Lawsuit Review

If you’ve lost a loved one to sudden cardiac arrest or other heart problems after dialysis treatment, you’ve almost certainly found yourself in a trying situation. The sudden loss of a loved one carries an enormous emotional toll. At the same time, the next of kin may find themselves facing substantial financial burdens, such as medical costs, final expenses, and the lost income potential of the deceased.

In such a situation, it’s common to feel overwhelmed and depressed, 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. You can start by visiting the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation, where 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 specific situation.

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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