Manufactured by the German company Fresenius Medical Care, Granuflo and Naturalyte are drugs used in kidney dialysis. These dialysis products are associated with cardiac arrests, some of which have been fatal, as our Granuflo lawyers understand. In 2011, the manufacturer sent an internal memo that told employees that over 900 patients had suffered heart attacks in clinics owned and operated by the manufacturer. The memo also connected the use of Granuflo to elevated bicarbonate levels, which increases the risk of cardiac arrest. Although it warned its own doctors, the company did not warn other clinics until the FDA released the memo. A Class 1 recall (the most serious type of recall) was issued in 2012. Many Granuflo and Naturalyte lawsuits have been filed. If you were injured or a loved one died due to use of Granuflo or Naturalyte, or another dangerous drug, the product liability attorneys at Moll Law Group are available to help you pursue recovery. Billions of dollars have been recovered in cases in which we were involved.
Hemodialysis is usually performed on patients with renal failure or reduced kidney function three types a week. During the procedure, blood is removed from the patient and pushed through a filter in which chemicals eliminate waste from the blood, which is then pumped back into the patient. Granuflo is a powder that produces bicarbonate, which is an ingredient used in dialysis. Naturalyte is a liquid that works similarly.
Product liability cases require a plaintiff to prove a defect. There are three types of defects:
The Granuflo and Naturalyte cases implicate all three types of defects, and a Granuflo lawyer can help plaintiffs bring a claim based on any or all of them.
Manufacturing defects are the result of an error in the process of making a product. They usually exist in only one or a few specimens of the product and are unintended. In contrast, design defects arise from a flaw in the choices made by the manufacturer when formulating a product. These defects exist in all properly made specimens of a particular line.
Marketing defects are flaws in the information that the manufacturer provides to consumers. All manufacturers are required to issue adequate warnings about adverse side effects or risks associated with their products. Most states follow the learned intermediary doctrine, which provides that manufacturers discharge their duty to provide warnings to consumers by notifying doctors. Doctors are believed to be in a better position to assess risks to a particular patient than are manufacturers.
If the claimants in the Granuflo and Naturalyte cases are able to prove that defects caused their injuries, they will be able to recover economic and noneconomic compensatory damages. In this case, since Fresenius issued only an internal memo and failed to warn doctors not working in its clinics, there may be a viable claim of concealment. If the plaintiffs successfully show concealment, they may be able to recover punitive damages. These are awarded to punish a manufacturer and deter future similar conduct.
If you suffered a heart attack or lost a loved one due to the use of Granuflo or Naturalyte, the product liability lawyers at Moll Law Group are available to file a claim on your behalf. We represent injured consumers throughout the nation, including in states such as California, Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. Call us at 312-462-1700 or use our online form to arrange a free consultation with a Granuflo attorney.