Massachusetts pain clinics receive subpoena in wrongful death

People generally depend upon medical professionals to help them maintain their health as well as their quality of life through proper medical treatments. However, most people would not expect visiting a medical professional would result in injury or death. Unfortunately, this is what happened to 745 people in 20 different states who received pain medication created by a Massachusetts drug manufacturer. Now the drug maker is facing numerous wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits as a result of the outbreak.

Recently two pain management facilities have been sent subpoenas asking for documentation which could contain information regarding patients who may have had injections of the tainted medicine. Most of the numerous complaints filed in federal and state court have been consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had started a multi-state inquiry into the incident in Oct. 2012.

The medicine in question is three batches of methylprednisolone  acetate which was provided by New England Compounding Pharmacy Inc., which is operated out of Massachusetts. The three batches were allegedly contaminated with fungus which caused some patients to contract a rare type of brain infection known as fungal meningitis as well as spinal and paraspinal infections. The steroid is used to treat back pain and is usually administered via injection.

The recent subpoenas will be just a part of the discovery process leading up to the trial in Massachusetts court. Once the trial begins the plaintiffs will have to present an effective legal argument in order to prevail in the wrongful death and personal injury complaints. If successful, however, the plaintiffs could receive a significant amount of monetary reimbursement for damages sustained.

Source: marionstar.com, “Papers sought from pain clinics,” June 26, 2013