Illinois Injury and Mass Tort Lawyer Blog

Published on: June 20, 2019

Are Children Eating Cereal Containing the Weedkiller Roundup?

Earlier this year, the manufacture of the popular herbicide, Roundup, was found to be liable in a series of product liability lawsuits and ordered to pay a total of $2 billion in punitive damages. In addition to these cases, there are approximately 13,400 others who are waiting for their case to be heard, all of whom claim that glyphosate, the chemical found in Roundup, is responsible for their cancer diagnoses.

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Over the years, Roundup has been used to treat crops across the United States. It is also used as a desiccant, or a drying agent, that is sprayed onto crops – especially oats – just before they are harvested. Farmers use glyphosate to kill the crop so that it dries out faster, allowing manufacturers to process the oats more quickly. As a result, it has been suggested that high levels of glyphosate can be found in certain oat products. Thus, the dangerousness of Roundup may not only affect adults who used the product, but also anyone who consumes food containing glyphosate.

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Published on: April 9, 2019

Seizures Reported Following E-Cigarette Use Especially in Youth – FDA Report Indicates

By Moll Law Group

The truth is that manufacturers are most interested in making a profit. Some manufacturers place dangerous products into the stream of commerce, putting millions of lives at risk. Often, there is something more that could be done to create a safer product; however, manufacturers may need encouragement to make their products safer. This encouragement frequently comes from a manufacturer’s fear of legal liability associated with a lawsuit, such as an Illinois product liability claim.

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Take cigarettes, for example. For decades, there has been widespread agreement that smoking is hazardous to health. Indeed, tobacco companies are still facing lawsuits brought on behalf of those who have died due to complications caused by smoking. However, over the years, society has become more informed about the dangers of tobacco, and more recently the trend has shifted away from smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes and toward “vaping.”

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Published on: March 28, 2019

Monsanto Ordered to Pay Over $80 Million in Roundup Cancer Case

By Moll Law Group

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The second phase of the bifurcated trial determining whether Monsanto should be held liable for the non-Hodgkins lymphoma suffered by a man after using the Monsanto product Roundup for decades has concluded. The culmination of the trial resulted in a jury award of over $5.6 million in compensatory damages and $200,000 for medical expenses to the plaintiff, and $75 million in punitive damages. The damages awarded are not only meant to compensate the plaintiff for the harm he suffered, but also to punish Monsanto for inappropriate conduct related to the product. While Bayer, the company that purchased Monsanto, issued a statement that it did not believe the subject case would impact future cases, the opposite is most likely true. Although each case must be assessed on its unique facts, it is probable that the subject case will have far-reaching effects on cases throughout the country in which it is alleged that Roundup caused a plaintiff’s harm, including Illinois toxic tort cases.

Evidence Presented in the Second Phase

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Published on: March 20, 2019

Verdict in Monsanto Trial – Roundup a Substantial Cause of Plaintiff’s non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

By Moll Law Group

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Yesterday, a six-person jury concluded that Roundup was a substantial cause of plaintiff’s non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The verdict sends a clear message to Bayer, the company that purchased Monsanto, and for the 11,000 plaintiffs in cases already filed in courts around the country – there is a link between glyphosate and cancer. Because of the case’s national importance, the jury’s recent decision will affect many Illinois toxic tort plaintiffs, as well as those across the country.

According to a recent news report covering the trial, the case involves a man who claimed that use of the defendant’s weed-killer, Round-Up, caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Evidently, the plaintiff used the weed-killer over 300 times in his 26-year career. The plaintiff also claims that the manufacturer attempted to influence scientists, regulators, and the general public regarding the safety of the product.

The case is important for several reasons. First, it is only the second case in which jurors have had to determine whether the chemical composition in Round-Up is a substantial factor in causing NHL. The defendant manufacturer claims that its product is safe for human use, regardless of exposure levels. However, the plaintiff argues numerous studies contradict the manufacturer’s assertions, showing that the risk of developing cancer increases with the level of exposure to the product. The only previous case involved a successful claim by a California man who recovered $289 million earlier last year.

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Published on: January 17, 2019

Case of Legionnaire’s Disease Discovered in Illinois Veterans’ Home

By Moll Law Group

Photo Credit: Robert Kneschke/ Shutterstock.com

If not properly maintained, Illinois nursing homes and skilled care facilities can be breeding grounds for various types of bacteria that can lead to outbreaks of serious diseases or illnesses. While most Illinois nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and skilled care facilities take the necessary precautions to ensure that the facilities are kept sanitary, not all facilities prioritize cleanliness as they should. In these facilities, residents are at an increased risk of contracting serious illnesses.

According to a recent news report, a resident in a Manteno veterans’ home was diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease earlier this month. Evidently, the resident was diagnosed early in the morning, and by the afternoon the Veteran’s Administration had implemented an “active water management program” and was reaching out to residents, family members, and attorneys to inform them of the recent diagnosis.

Legionnaire’s Disease

Legionnaire’s disease is a severe form of pneumonia that is usually caused by some kind of infection. The disease is not spread from person to person by physical contact, but is contracted by inhaling the bacteria Legionella. Smokers, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk of contracting Legionnaire’s disease.

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Published on: December 28, 2018

Illinois Dioceses Allegedly Withheld Names of at Least 500 Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse

By Moll Law Group

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Victims of childhood sexual abuse in Illinois may find the legal system daunting in addition to dealing with the trauma of the abuse they have suffered. Indeed, many different laws and standards can apply in a case. Under Illinois’s Code of Civil Procedure, sexual abuse includes but is not limited to sexual conduct and sexual penetration as defined in the Criminal Code. Childhood Sexual Abuse is defined as “an act of sexual abuse” when the abused person is under 18 years old. Generally, a claim based on childhood sexual abuse must be filed within 20 years of the date the statute of limitations began to run, or within 20 years of the date the victim discovers or should discover both “that the act of childhood sexual abuse occurred” and “that the injury was caused by the childhood sexual abuse.”

In 2017, Illinois eliminated the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions for felony criminal sexual assault and sexual abuse crimes against children. The law applies to future cases as well as then-current cases in which the old statute of limitations had not yet expired. Before the change in the law, most serious sexual offenses against children had to be prosecuted within 20 years of the survivor turning 18 years old. Although the statute of limitations is shorter for civil cases, there are several exceptions that may extend the statute of limitations. If you were the victim of abuse and have questions about the timing of filing a case, reach out to a dedicated Illinois sexual abuse attorney.

Catholic Church Failed to Disclose Names of Priests Accused of Abuse

Illinois’s Attorney General announced this week that six Catholic dioceses in the state did not disclose the names of at least 500 priests who have been accused of sexual abuse, according to one news source. The state’s investigation was sparked by a Pennsylvania grand jury report that found there were 300 “predator priests” in that state.

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Published on: April 7, 2018

The Debate Over a Controversial “Clot-Busting” Stroke Medication

By Moll Law Group

Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock.com

A stroke is essentially a “brain attack” that – like a heart attack – occurs when the blood flow to a portion of the brain is cut off. Strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, with about 800,000 people suffering from a stroke each year. It is also estimated that approximately 80% of strokes can be prevented, and even those that are not prevented may be able to have their harmful effects reduced. However, an Illinois medical malpractice case can arise when a stroke is not promptly and competently addressed.

One of the ways that doctors treat a stroke in hopes of reducing its long-term effects is through medication. If medication can be provided to the patient soon enough after the stroke begins, blood may be able to be restored to the brain, reducing the chance of permanent disability or death.

Over the past few years, there has been a vigorous debate over the use of one stroke medication in particular, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). According to those in favor of TPA, the drug acts as a clot-buster, opening blocked blood vessels and allowing blood to return to the brain. A recent news article discusses TPA, as well as the fact that despite having been around for over 20 years, it is still not commonly used to treat stroke victims.

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Published on: April 2, 2018

Protecting Against the Risks Associated with Breast Implant Surgery

By Moll Law Group

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Breast augmentation, or augmentation mammoplasty, has been the most common elective cosmetic surgery in the United States for over a decade. Last year alone, there were over 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries performed across the United States. This figure represents a 3% increase from the year before, and a 41% increase from the number of similar surgeries performed in 2000.

The science behind breast augmentation surgery is sound, and the FDA has approved cosmetic breast augmentation surgery. However, the popularity of the surgery has resulted in a situation in which medical providers rush to fill the perceived demand, often overlooking critical safety protocols along the way. Indeed, the FDA estimates that approximately 1% of all patients undergoing a breast augmentation surgery will experience some form of complication or adverse medical event. These may include:

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Published on: February 26, 2018

Residents of Chicago Care Facility Evacuated after Authorities Discover “Deplorable” Conditions

By Moll Law Group

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Earlier this month, Dixmoor police evacuated approximately 30 men from an Illinois nursing home facility that was supposed to be providing the men with mental health services. According to a local news report, the men were evacuated after one resident called the police, explaining that they had been locked in the facility with no staff members present.

Evidently, the facility provides mental health care services to men between the ages of 30 and 50. However, when police received the call explaining that the residents were locked inside, the conditions they found inside the facility were described as “deplorable.” Responding officers told reporters that there were men sleeping on mattresses strewn about on the floor and that the facility had no hot water. There was also an infestation of bed bugs.

The local police chief told reporters that the conditions in the facility left him “in awe.” He also explained that he had personally been to the facility in the previous weeks to shut it down for operating without a valid license.

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Published on: February 6, 2018

Recent Study Suggests E-Cigarettes May Not Be a Safe Alternative to Smoking

By Moll Law Group

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Over the past decade, manufacturers of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have marketed their product as a safe alternative to smoking. Indeed, their efforts have been largely successful, with an estimated 2 million adults and teens reporting they have used an e-cigarette within the past three days.

That being said, the federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of e-cigarettes as a stop-smoking aid. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force agrees, noting that there is insufficient evidence supporting the use of e-cigarettes for those who want to quit smoking. Part of the reason why e-cigarette use has not been approved is the lack of longitudinal studies following the health of those who use them on a routine basis.

In recent news, according to a study released by researchers out of New York University and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, e-cigarettes may still pose a potential risk of lung cancer, bladder cancer and heart disease. Depending on the results of further research, users of e-cigarettes who develop lung cancer, bladder cancer or heart disease may be eligible for compensation through a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturers of these products.

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